A new 911 center in Illinois leans in on sustainability

For more than a decade, Lake County, Ill., has been planning and coordinating its new Regional Operations and Communications (ROC) facility. When the 37,000-sf building, designed by Wold Architects and Engineers, was finally completed last June, it laid claim to being the nation’s first net-zero regional 9-1-1 center.

Located at the county’s Libertyville, Ill., campus, the facility houses three major operations: LakeComm, a consolidated 9-1-1 emergency communications center; the Joint Emergency Telephone System Board, which provides operational oversight of the overall 9-1-1 system; and the Lake County Emergency Management Agency and its operations center, which coordinates emergency disaster planning and response, and provides disaster training to local communities.

Funded in part by a $30 million Lake County General Obligation bond, the facility has been constructed to withstand severe weather events and long-term power outages. It is Lake County Government’s first Net-Zero building, powered by more than 1,900 solar panels and heated and cooled by a geothermal energy system of 56 wells located 400 feet below ground.

It also serves as a coordination hub during emergencies, allowing state and county partners to mobilize quickly. LakeComm supports 30 police and fire/EMS agencies, improving coordination and communication through shared space and integrated systems. 

(Path Construction, based in Arlington Heights, Ill., was the project’s builder.)

LakeComm utilizes computer software rolled out last year specifically for local law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies. The technology consolidates more than 15 systems into a single, integrated package, according to the county.