(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – In Sangamon County, you can simply call 911 to report an emergency, but that hasn’t been the case in all Illinois counties until now. In 2015, the General Assembly assigned the Illinois State Police the mission to make 911 statewide and available in all 102 counties. Now, thanks to an agreement between Stark and Peoria Counties, the mission has been accomplished.

 “This is a significant milestone for ISP’s Division of Statewide 911 and the whole state,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. ​ “The agreement between these two counties means residents will see quicker response times as telecommunicators can get the appropriate first responders enroute sooner.”
Stark County entered into an agreement with Peoria County to create a Joint Emergency Telephone System Board so that Stark County residents and those traveling through the area can receive emergency services by utilizing 911.

Prior to the partnership, Stark County residents had to call a 10-digit number for emergency services, such as the sheriff’s office or fire department. ​ People traveling through Stark County who didn’t know which number to call had to be routed through other 911 systems, which meant more steps before police, fire, and EMS could be dispatched.

Additional upgrades are also happening for the statewide 911 network. ISP Illinois Statewide 911 Administrator Cindy Barbera-Brelle said, ​ “Illinois is continuing to migrate 911 systems to the State’s Next Generation 911 network, which will provide increased services and better responses in an emergency.”

Since 2016, the Illinois Statewide 911 Administrator, with the advice and recommendation of the Statewide 911 Advisory Board, has awarded approximately $47.5 million in grants to 911 systems across the state from the 911 Consolidation Award Grant Program to ensure enhanced 911 service throughout Illinois. ​ ​

There are 179 public safety answering points (911 centers) in Illinois, 158 of which have already switched over to Next Generation 911, and 21 are moving in that direction. ​