What Outagamie County’s Purpose-Built 911 Center Teaches Us About Resilience, Technology and Dispatcher Wellness
Communities nationwide are taking a hard look at whether their emergency communications centers (ECCs) are equipped for modern public safety. Call volumes are rising, technology is advancing rapidly and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent — all placing new strain on facilities that were never designed for today’s operational realities.
In Outagamie County, that pressure became impossible to ignore. Dispatchers worked from a windowless basement space that challenged both staff performance and equipment reliability. After evaluating the existing facility and projecting long-term space needs, county leaders determined that renovation would not solve the underlying issues. Instead, they partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers to design a purpose-built 911 Emergency Communications Center aligned with modern demands.
Today, Outagamie County’s ECC stands as a model for jurisdictions facing similar decisions — illustrating how resilience, technology readiness and dispatcher well-being can be embedded directly into facility design.
Infrastructure built for adaptability
Modern 911 operations require more than updated hardware and software. They demand a physical environment capable of supporting higher data volumes, additional equipment, multimedia communications and ongoing system upgrades — without disrupting service.
In the county’s former facility, even routine improvements — such as installing new cabling, upgrading consoles or expanding radio capacity — required workarounds that often introduced new risks. The new center was designed with adaptability in mind. Infrastructure supports expanding technology needs while maintaining tight environmental controls for sensitive equipment.
The communications floor layout reinforces that flexibility. Consoles are positioned to provide clear sightlines and intuitive access to essential systems. Equipment rooms are properly sized and strategically located to streamline maintenance and reduce downtime during upgrades. As enhanced caller data, advanced mapping and additional communication channels become standard, the facility can absorb those changes without major reconstruction or extended outages.
For an agency once constrained by its physical space, this shift provides a stable technological foundation for both current operations and future innovation.
Resilience engineered into the building
Ensuring uninterrupted operations during high-impact events was a central design priority. The former basement location made environmental stability and system redundancy difficult to maintain. Aging electrical infrastructure and limited routing options for backup systems created vulnerabilities in moments when reliability mattered most.
The new ECC addresses those risks with redundant electrical systems, protected data pathways and robust backup power capabilities. Mechanical systems are sized for present and future loads, maintaining environmental stability in every critical technology space. The building itself features a hardened structure and secure internal zones designed to remain operational during extreme events.
The facility also accommodates growth. Additional dispatch positions can be activated as call volumes increase, and an adjacent overflow dispatch and training room can open directly to the main operations floor during major incidents — enabling rapid scaling while preserving response times.
Together, these features ensure continuity during the exact scenarios when communities depend on coordinated, sustained emergency response.
A workplace designed for dispatcher well-being
County leadership also prioritized the experience of the telecommunicators who manage emergency calls every day. Moving operations out of the basement introduced one of the most meaningful improvements: consistent access to natural daylight, supporting alertness and sustained focus during long shifts.
The design reinforces that commitment to well-being. Adjustable lighting reduces eye strain. Carefully engineered acoustics minimize background noise and prevent audio fatigue. Ergonomically adjustable consoles allow dispatchers to change positions throughout their shifts.
Break areas are located close enough to provide meaningful decompression without disrupting operations, and circulation paths limit unnecessary foot traffic across the communications floor. The result is a workplace designed not just for functionality, but for the people who depend on it.
As noted by Outagamie County Sheriff Clint Kriewaldt, the new center represents a significant investment in community safety — and equally, in the professionals who answer every call. When dispatchers are supported physically and operationally, the entire emergency response system benefits.
Supporting coordination and training
The new ECC also strengthens multi-agency collaboration. A dedicated multi-purpose training room serves the sheriff’s office and other county departments, providing space for preparedness exercises and joint training. Colocating dispatch, training and support functions enhances supervision, coordination and secure collaboration.
Picture from Wold Architects
By bringing these elements under one roof, the facility reinforces the interconnected nature of modern emergency response.
A signal for the future of public safety
Many jurisdictions still operate in facilities that limit technology integration, hinder staff retention or complicate coordination during large-scale incidents. As emergencies grow more complex and communication systems more advanced, facility design plays a direct role in operational performance.
Outagamie County’s purpose-built ECC demonstrates how infrastructure can strengthen resilience, support personnel and prepare agencies for evolving demands. For leaders reassessing their own centers, the message is clear: modernization is not simply a facilities project – it is an investment in readiness, workforce sustainability and the continuity of the entire public safety system.