ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – There’s nearly $2 million worth of software guiding you through your 911 call in Rockford.
The Rockford Fire Department (RFD) adopted ProQA in March 2023. Chief Michele Pankow credits the technology for “streamlining” dispatch responses. The services cost RFD nearly $2 million over 5 years.
Before the software, RFD relied on a Rolodex of predetermined questions and answers – assisting dispatch service workers through calls. Since ProQA’s implementation, the tech offers thousands of potential response plans through a digital triage interface.
“For us, this really was a monumental change,” says Chief Pankow. The program provides “all of the questions that the call taker is going through.”
Fire personnel receive additional information with the software – learning what’s required to help those dialing 911.
Although Minneapolis dropped ProQA in 2019 – citing concerns with the fixed questions –, Rockford has seen fewer hiccups.
“We’ve had to pivot on a few things as we’ve learned the system, and then as we align that with our response,” says Chief Pakow. Still, rigorous training prepared RFD dispatch and crew members.
For those answering the 911 calls, the digital transition feels natural.
“We use a lot of technology,” says Elizabeth Russell, the 911 division administrator. “So this is actually just aligning better with how we do our jobs anyways.”
Additionally, the administrator quells concerns of delayed responses due to ProQA’s questioning: “The resources are getting dispatched and we’ll continue to ask questions to get the information to the first responders.”
The switch to the Priority Dispatch technology originates from a Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board grant. Funds enact mental health protocols ProQA supports through its questions.
Chief Pankow says the software provides “an appropriate response… or guidance towards mental health services” – unlike the previous rolodex set.
Additionally, the initial county grant picked ProQA for the potential of a dispatch nurse. The UW Health personnel would “have his or her own software that they would use to ask follow-up questions,” says Russell, and service non-emergency calls.
With the adoption, Chief Pankow outlines the software not as a means for quicker response times but as a tool for dispatch and first responders.
“We want to be able to tailor the response,” says the chief. “That’s ultimately where we want to go.”
Since the implementation, RFD hasn’t seen a significant increase or decrease in response times. However, staff credits the tech as crucial for information collection.
As for the software’s future, the department aims to hire the nurse by the year’s end. To achieve that, the dispatch center must reach compliance levels with Priority Dispatch for “accreditation.”
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