Committing To Leadership

At the heart of Central Illinois is the lively city of Bloomington. Known as the “insurance capital,” the city is closely connected to the local headquarters of State Farm, Country Financial, and Illinois Agricultural Association. Bloomington is also the sole manufacturing home of Beer Nuts and lays claims to the original Steak 'n Shake restaurant opened in the adjoining twin city, with the best name of “Normal.”¹

Beyond being a key player in the region’s diverse economy and productive agricultural area, Bloomington is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Heartland Community College. The city promotes a buzzing art scene with theater options including the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, the Community Players Theatre, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Twin Cities Ballet.²

Strolling downtown is an exploration of eateries and cultural connections. But if you prefer to answer the call of the outdoors, Miller Park is the place to unwind at the lake, zoo, and scenic walking trails. Among these leisurely beauties, Bloomington fosters a strong sense of Midwestern community, evidenced in part by the support of their minor league hockey team: the Bloomington Bison.³

Amid Bloomington’s charm is the tri-ACE Bloomington Emergency Communications Center, a consolidated home for the Bloomington police and fire agencies. The ECC serves a population of 78,857 people in a roughly 27-square-mile radius. With a staff of only 20 public safety dispatchers overseen by a manager and supervisor, the ECC handles a total call volume of over 130,500 calls a year. In 2024, they dispatched police 67,261 times and fire/EMS responses 14,353 times.

The Medical Priority Dispatch System^™ (MPDS^®) has been a part of their center since their origin in 2006, but the ECC didn’t adopt the Fire Priority Dispatch System^™ (FPDS)^® until 2014, followed by the Police Priority Dispatch System^™ (PPDS^®) in 2018.

Embracing an elite vision

The Bloomington Emergency Dispatch team likes to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to incorporating advancing technology, providing updated training, and encouraging familiarity with the protocols. Manager Darren Wolf has invested the last 19 of his 31 years in public safety creating a culture of learning and advancing at Bloomington ECC.

“We’re not complacent,” Wolf said. “We’re out there on the cutting edge with best practices. As technology is advancing in every industry so quickly, we try to keep our people up to speed and use these tools to affect positive outcomes.”

In the next few months, they plan to employ real-time translation and transcription to serve their community better with a small percentage of Spanish speakers in need of these services. Recently, the ECC has also embraced incorporating photo and video streaming to 911. While venturing into new territory, the leading administration considers the impact on their Emergency Dispatchers.

“They’re not used to seeing the scene over the phone, and now there is a potential for gruesome or traumatic views,” Wolf said. “From a leadership point, we are aware of the potential impact on our dispatchers, and we’re prepared to deal with that new exposure by supporting our team.”

Among their stress management tools, the Bloomington ECC has a well-established peer support team, encouraging debriefing and positive care routines for their Emergency Dispatchers. They also provide a quiet room for managing emotional spikes and stress reactions.

Aiming for accreditation

With a competitive eye for achievement and a desire to establish themselves as a leader in the field, the ECC had its heart set on being the first tri-ACE in Illinois. Beyond going through the familiar motions of taking calls and dispatching units, they craved a deeper commitment.

The Bloomington ECC began their elite journey with a unique approach. Instead of leading with mastery of the MPDS as many centers prefer to do, administration chose to pursue fire accreditation first, followed by police, and then medical.

“We started with fire, knowing that would be a good way to get our feet wet and see how that worked since it had a lower call volume,” Wolf said. “We put together a really good package for the accreditation reviewers, and since that was successful, we got ready for police.”

With an increasing pace for progress, the Bloomington ECC achieved fire accreditation in August 2021, police in November 2021, and medical in April 2023.

“Once we established a QA program, we got in line with the Performance Standards and started focusing on the key information our responders needed and the impact we could make providing Pre-Arrival Instructions,” Wolf said.

The comm. center quickly realized that it takes the entire team to get on track for accreditation, including the first responder community.

“Without the people in the street, you can’t measure the impact of call notes or evaluate response configurations (on the fire and EMS side especially),” Wolf said. “We started seeing the results of our efforts. This stuff can save lives.”

Police Chief Jamal Simington emphasized the critical importance of these strong partnerships. “The community places high trust that public safety services will be actionable, timely, and professional,” he said. “Through their professionalism, commitment to serve, and respect for human dignity, our public safety dispatchers ensure excellent services are delivered. I am very proud of the men and women who serve in these critical positions.”

Beyond fulfilling his role of managing the paperwork, Wolf recognized how each individual Emergency Dispatcher played a part in achieving accreditation, relying on their understanding of the protocol and their keen ability to use it in compliance with the standards. He felt fortunate to trust his team as the right people under the headset.

“There’s strength in recognizing our telecommunicators as first responders,” Wolf said. “The process of achieving accreditation highlighted the responsibility behind that title. I’m proud of our people for committing to that.”

Breaking down barriers

Like any goal worth pursuing, accreditation presents its challenges. The Bloomington ECC found their solution was in knowing themselves and facing obstacles together.

“The biggest culprit was time,” Wolf said. “The bulk of review fell on our ECC Supervisor David Debolt, but we utilized several public safety dispatchers to serve as peer reviewers and they conducted case reviews on probationary employees. We also utilized the services of Quality Performance Review to supplement our review for EMD.”

Time was also set aside for monthly protocol trainings to focus on understanding, not fearing, the protocol system, a continuing thread the ECC prioritizes today. “Sometimes we all just have to get out of the way of ourselves,” Wolf said.

These continued trainings are often based on protocol Update Guides and the College of Emergency Dispatch’s Advancement Series with the goal to immerse Emergency Dispatchers in the protocol. Whether that practical experience occurs within a real-world application and review, Priority Dispatch AI SkillLab simulations, or traditional scenario practice, Wolf considers the key to be active, engaged users. “It’s a tool; you have to know how to use it,” he said.

Conclusion

After becoming a tri-ACE and with re-accreditation now behind them, Bloomington ECC now looks outward to potentially mentor other agencies in their own unique accreditation processes. “We look forward to helping people,” Wolf said. “The more ACEs, the better for all the communities. It really is a chance to make a difference.”

Looking back on their journey, Wolf can see the difference accreditation makes. The evidence is not just a title or certificate posted on the wall. When you walk into the room and overhear the ECC Emergency Dispatchers, you can hear how naturally, professionally, and seamlessly they provide service, as if they weren’t using a protocol at all. “When you get to that level of compliance with protocol, you’re going to see it and hear it,” he said. “It’s just a different vibe.”

Sources:

1. “About the City.” City of Bloomington, Illinois. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/community/about-the-city (accessed Feb. 26, 2025).

2. See note 1.

3. “Visit B-N.” Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. https://www.visitbn.org/ (accessed March 24, 2025).