Village Places 911 Dispatcher on Leave During Disciplinary Probe

The Village of Oak Lawn has placed a 911 dispatcher on paid administrative leave for disruptive behavior that allegedly occurred during her shift on Wednesday.

According to the village's news release sent out late Wednesday afternoon, emergency dispatcher Lori Gromala was placed on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary investigation.

Oak Lawn's emergency dispatchers and their supporters packed the board chamber on Tuesday evening, before trustees voted 4-2 to disband the emergency communications center, effectively releasing 20 union dispatchers.

The village is in the process of authorizing an agreement with private contractor Norcomm Public Safety Communications to take over 911 emergency dispatch services for Oak Lawn and its municipal clients.

WATCH THE VIDEO: "HOW THE VOTE WENT DOWN"

Oak Lawn viilage officials said that Gromala was under investigation for "behavior disrupting Call Center operations during her shift." The news release did not specify what had taken place.

Gromala, a 20-year dispatcher for the village, told Southtown-Star after Tuesday's vote to privatize 911 operations that she felt angry, betrayed and frustrated "by the lack of truths being told by the village."

Asked if Gromala was being disciplined for talking to the news media, Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen said by email that employees were entitled to voice their opinions on their own time.

Deetjen described the disciplinary action stemming from an alleged incident that took place during Gromala's shift Wednesday morning when she was "on duty and assigned to 'serve the public.'"

Following the alleged incident, Gromala was reportedly escorted out of village hall.

The village's news release stated that Gromala received a three-day suspension for "misconduct" in 2012.

Many of the dispatchers gathered in the hall said that the "deal was done" before Tuesday night's board action.

The day before, the emergency call center's director, Kathy Hansen, sent an email addressed to the department's 911 dispatchers, explaining the village's transition process while it pursued an agreement with Norcomm Public Safety Communications.

"Upon affirmative vote of administrative action," Hansen wrote the day before the board meeting, "the Village will commence the process of transition to provide emergency regional dispatch services through a staffing contract expected to be in force on or about mid-January 2014.

"No, and I emphasize no changes in staffing and service delivery procedures will take place during this transition period and all associates are fully expected to comply with the contract in force and the law," the director said.

Hansen stated in her email that was it was in response to dispatchers' questions of management over the weekend. She also expressed that the village would help arrange interviews for the displaced union dispatchers with Norcomm.

Village officials said that Tuesday's board action to outsource was the result of a breakdown in negotiations over concessions with the union representing Oak Lawn's Emergency Telecommunicators, Metropolitan Alliance of Police Local 351.

Gromala is a member of that union.

Oak Lawn Trustees Bob Streit (Dist. 3) and Carol Quinlan (Dist. 5) voted against outsourcing.

Union attorney Ron Cicinelli pleaded with Mayor Sandra Bury to appoint a board committee to sit down the union's board in a final attempt to work out a financial compromise.

The village rejected the union's final concession offer which the union claims would have saved Oak Lawn taxpayers $850,000 over the next four years.

Cicinelli said he could not yet verify the reason for the village's action against Gromala, or if it was related to remarks she made to the news media.

"I haven't seen the any charges from the village," the attorney said.