What is the FOIA?

Enacted on July 4, 1966, and taking effect one year later, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.

WESCOM supports the FOIA and welcomes all requests. Although not required, it is encouraged to complete WESOM's Freedom of Information Act Request Form as it may help in processing your FOIA request faster. FOIA requests can be made by completing the online form below or filling out a WESCOM FOIA Form (linked down below) and emailing it to foia@wescom-9-1-1.org or faxing a request to (815) 436-4701. You only need to submit the form once. The FOIA officer will respond to your FOIA request within one business day to confirm that we received your request.

There is no fee required to submit a FOIA, however, certain fees may apply in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. By making a FOIA request, the requestor shall be considered to have agreed to pay all applicable fees up to $25.00 unless a fee waiver has been granted. If WESCOM estimates that the total fees for processing a FOIA request will exceed $25.00, WESCOM will notify the requestor in writing of the estimate and offer the requestor an opportunity to narrow the request in order to reduce the fees.

For more information visit Freedom of Information Act.