Beyond the distant sounds of construction, Lake County’s Regional Operations Center was quiet Thursday afternoon as the media was given a tour of the facility. That will change this summer, however, when the new nerve center of Lake County’s emergency responders comes online.
The $54 million, 37,400-square-foot building is the culmination of a more than decades-long effort to consolidate the region’s 911 services. Known as “the ROC,” it will soon house LakeComm, the Lake County Emergency Management Agency and its Emergency Operations Center, and the Joint Emergency Telephone System Board.
LakeComm is a new consolidated public safety answering point and emergency dispatch agency that will handle 911 services for 30 member agencies. Its stated goal is to reduce call transfers, streamline interagency response and mutual aid, and increase data sharing between agencies and responding personnel.
The Regional Operations and Communications facility, which will house LakeComm, Lake County’s 911 dispatch services consolidation. The facility is on the county’s Libertyville campus. (Photo courtesy of Lake County)
LakeComm Executive Director Jason Kern said there will be more than 100 staffers, including 76 dispatchers who will be largely drawn from current dispatchers at the existing centers.
Many of LakeComm’s dispatchers will be drawn from the staff of the centers being closed as part of the consolidation, he said.
The building is made up of several layers of increasingly secure sections. That includes a section officials described as a “building within a building,” with walls several feet thick, windows capable of taking a two-by-four traveling at well over 100 mph and ceilings reinforced with steel beams. The facility also has a plethora of redundancies and backup systems.
Lake County Board member Kevin Hunter described the building as a “fortress,” meant to handle threats from both man and Mother Nature.
Out on the dispatch floor are 31 stations, each featuring eight screens, with three supervisor stations at the head of the room. Screens will be installed around the room that will be able to display different information depending on the situation.
Even in its current configuration and scale, officials said LakeComm could absorb any additional need from Lake County agencies hoping to join in the future. Their current membership list has a notable absence: the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
In April, Sheriff’s Office leaders said their position remains unchanged regarding potentially rejoining the consolidation after pulling out last year. However, it remains “collaborative and communicative.”
Lake County’s Regional Operations Center will be opening this summer, housing several emergency response agencies. That includes LakeComm, the consolidation of several 911 dispatch centers in the area. (Joe States/Pioneer Press)
Kern said he expects the facility will help convince agencies to come aboard, and officials said there are specific cutouts to allow the Sheriff’s Office to join at any time.
Throughout the building, natural light streams in — it’s one of several quality-of-life factors that were taken into consideration during planning. Kern said he’s worked at previous dispatch centers built in basements and windowless rooms.
The more pleasant environment, which was planned in consultation with dispatchers, includes noise dampening, an on-site gym, and private spaces to decompress from stressful incidents. All these will help with employee retention, officials said.
Across from the break room and common space on the dispatch floor is the Emergency Operations Center, a 52-seat room that will aid in coordinating during crisis responses. It’ll also be used for training and exercises during quieter days, officials said.
The proximity of the agencies will aid with collaboration and communication, Hunter said, and there will be numerous financial and public safety benefits for Lake County residents.
“When you take seven agencies and reduce it to one, the efficiencies are tremendous,” Hunter said.
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart encouraged other agencies to join the consolidation.
“We have the best technology here, the best space for the employees,” she said. “We think it’s advantageous for the taxpayer to put everyone together. It’s a benefit for everybody, the more agencies we can bring together.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/27/lake-county-911-services-center-this-summer/