If someone experiences chest pains in Waukegan and calls 911 on their cellphone, the dispatcher on the other end will know precisely where they are and the right questions to ask so the ambulance crew knows exactly what to do when it arrives on the scene.
Waukegan Police Department Cmdr. Frank Lopez, the interim director of the city’s new communications center, said that when the call reaches the center, up-to-date technology helps the dispatcher know what questions to ask and automatically gives the ambulance the precise location.
“There’s a list of questions on the screen the dispatcher should ask to pinpoint the precise nature of the emergency,” Lopez said. “If the person doesn’t speak English, it initiates a text in any language the patient speaks.”
The Waukegan Metropolitan Emergency Communications Center opened Wednesday in a newly renovated space at the Waukegan National Airport with the latest technology to aid dispatchers as they help people in need.
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Along with providing dispatch services for the Waukegan police and fire departments, the center handles emergency and all other calls for the Park City and the Tower Lakes police departments, as well as the Winthrop Harbor police and fire departments.
Designed for emergencies, Lopez said the dispatch center handles all police and fire needs, whether it is an emergency or not. Callers should dial 911 in an emergency. The local police or fire phone number will ring in the center when the call is made.
Mayor Sam Cunningham called the new communications center a “vital lifeline for our communities” with its cutting-edge routing technology and expanded infrastructure. It is significantly larger than the former dispatch center at the Waukegan Police Station.
“When an emergency strikes, every single second counts,” Cunningham said. “A frantic phone call, a dispatched unit, a quick response- these are the moments that separate crisis from safety. When our residents call for help, they are backed by the absolute best infrastructure available.”
Before the move, the dispatchers worked in a cramped area of the police station. Lopez said it was approximately 700 square feet. There were no windows. The new dispatch center is more than four times the size, with plentiful windows and natural light.
Currently dispatching for six police or fire departments in four towns, Lopez said there is room and equipment for four additional entities. Space exists to provide services for additional communities with the acquisition of more gear.
At this time in the room, there are eight fully functioning stations with six computer screens. Two large ones are on the bottom with four smaller ones above them. If the emergency is a police matter, Lopez said different and appropriate information is available for the dispatcher.
“The dispatcher gets what they need for all situations,” Lopez said, “Everything they need is all in the computer.”
While Park City borders Waukegan and Winthrop Harbor is to the north past Zion, Tower Lakes is located in southwest Lake County. Lopez said the communication comes from Waukegan, but the information enables police officers miles away to respond quickly.
Lake County opened its own regional communications center last year in Libertyville, servicing 30 police and fire departments. Around the same time planning for the county started more than 10 years ago, Cunningham said Waukegan knew it had to do something with its aging equipment and small space.
Planning started in 2017 and 2018. Cunningham said the COVID pandemic slowed the effort, but a decision was made for the county’s largest city to develop its own state-of-the-art communications center to serve its residents and surrounding towns.
“Our goal is to meet the needs on the northeast side of the county,” Cunningham said.
In late 2024, city officials located a building at the airport that would accommodate the needs of a modern communications dispatch facility. Plans were drawn, and work began.