Waukegan commander says new regional dispatch center expected to open mid-April pending hardware delivery
Loading...
Summary
Commander Francisco Lopez told the March 16 Public Safety Committee that certification for a cloud-based 911 phone system was completed in mid-February and the city expects Motorola/AT&T hardware delivery and installation soon, with an anticipated opening around mid-April.
Commander Francisco Lopez updated the Waukegan Public Safety Committee on March 16 on the status of the city's new dispatch center, saying that testing and certification of a cloud-based 911 phone system recently cleared a key milestone but final hardware delivery and installation remain pending.
"In mid February, that system was certified for rollout to all PSAPs," Lopez said, using the industry term PSAP (public safety answering point) for emergency dispatch centers. He told the committee the team began dispatching for Tower Lakes Park City and Winthrop Harbor in November but could not open the new center earlier because the cloud-based 911 phone system had not passed certification.
Lopez said the city is awaiting hardware from Motorola and AT&T and expects delivery within about a month; once the vendors complete installation and configuration, staff will move operations to the new center. "I'm anticipating the opening to be around mid April," he said.
Alderman Florian asked whether committee members would be able to tour the finished facility; Lopez said tours are possible during the final installation phase and that he had scheduled a tour with Aldermen Felix and Martinez for the next day around 1:30 p.m.
Lopez described the current site as "a little Spartan" while equipment is being installed and noted the opening remains contingent on vendor deliveries and successful configuration. No formal votes or contract awards were recorded on this agenda item during the meeting.
Reported: March 16, 2026. Meeting: Waukegan Public Safety Committee. Speaker: Commander Francisco Lopez.
