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Emergency Communication

In times of emergency, call volumes to the Communication Center can quickly exceed capacity to handle every call as it comes in. Normal call volume is about 50 calls an hour, emergency situations  such as floods or snow storms, can increase call volume to over 500 calls an hour!

When faced with an emergency, it can be frustrating if you don’t know the proper number to call for assistance. Knowing the proper number to call can save valuable time when reporting an emergency. You may also wish to add these numbers to your phone so you have them for convenience.

Emergency situations – 911

In the event of a significant emergency, such as a fire or major traffic accident, call volumes may exceed the capacity of our dispatch center
When that happens, calls may be answered by our 911 backup center. The backup center is located in another community and the dispatcher answering your call may not be familiar with the ongoing emergency. Please be patient and provide them with as much information as possible.

Please be patient
Dispatchers will ask you to provide some information that you may feel to be irrelevant. This information is needed to quickly and accurately send our public safety personnel to the proper location.

Don’t be offended or suprised if the dispatcher asks you what town you are calling from
Highland Park is part of a regional dispatch center that answers calls for over a dozen communities. Many of these communities have similar or same street names. Dispatchers need to confirm your location to ensure the call is sent to the proper public safety personnel.

Remain calm
During times of emergency, it’s common to get excited and try to provide all your information as quickly as possible. You should first explain the nature of your emergency (fire, flooding, medical etc.). The dispatcher will begin asking you a series of questions and guide you through the reporting process. Be patient. While you are answering the questions, the dispatcher will be entering your information into the computer aided dispatch system. This information will be forwarded to the responding units and will make sure that accurate and complete information is given to the responding agency.

Stay on the line until the dispatcher says it’s OK to hang up
Once the responding units have been dispatched, there may be additional questions that need to be answered. Staying on the line, if asked to do so, will NOT delay help from arriving.

Non-Emergency situations – 847.432.7730

For non-emergency calls during off hours that may require Police, Fire, Public Works or Community Development responses, please use the non-emergency number. This enables the dispatch center to respond to calls in order of importance. If call volumes are extremely high, you may be redirected through the automated attendant several times before someone is available to answer your call. Be patient, all calls will be answered.

Public Works – 847.432.0807

Public Works problems can also be reported through the City’s online Non-Emergency Request Tracker. The Request Tracker allows residents to view if the issue has already been reported and allows residents to see the status of the work. For example, a flooded street can be reported by visiting www.cityhpil.com/requesttracker.

The City values our communication with our residents. You are the “eyes and ears” of the community and we rely on our partnership with you to help keep our community safe.