A Regional Model for Resilience: Lake County’s New Operations and Communications Facility in Libertyville

I recently had the privilege of touring the new Lake County Regional Operations and Communications Facility in Libertyville with Lake County Partners, and it’s safe to say this isn’t your typical government building. This facility represents a significant step forward in public safety, regional coordination, and sustainable infrastructure. But more than that, it reflects what’s possible when dozens of agencies, municipalities, and leaders work together with shared purpose.

A Facility Years in the Making

The vision for this facility started long before the first shovel hit the ground. For years, emergency services and regional operations were spread across different sites, using different systems, and responding to challenges in silos. The result: slower communication, higher costs, and limited resilience in times of crisis.

This new facility solves that with a centralized, future-proof hub that brings together communications, dispatch, emergency response, and coordination under one roof.

Smarter Design, Better Response

With everything in one location, Lake County’s emergency response teams can now:

• Communicate faster and with greater accuracy

• Coordinate region-wide emergency responses in real time

• Eliminate duplication and improve overall efficiency

This is critical in high-stakes situations—every second counts, and now the region is equipped to respond with speed, precision, and confidence.

Powered by Innovation: Solar + Geothermal

One of the most exciting elements of the project is its commitment to sustainability. The building is fully supported by a geothermal heating and cooling system, dramatically reducing energy consumption year-round. That’s paired with an on-site solar farm, designed to offset a significant portion of the facility’s power demand with clean, renewable energy.

This isn’t just a public safety facility, it’s a net-positive investment in the environment and in long-term operational savings. By integrating both solar and geothermal, Lake County is setting an example for how public infrastructure can be built responsibly and economically.

Supporting the People Who Support Us

Emergency dispatchers and operations staff perform one of the most emotionally demanding jobs in government, and this facility was designed with that in mind. The building features:

• Natural light-filled workspaces to reduce fatigue

• Quiet recovery rooms for decompression after high-stress calls

• Ergonomic furniture and soundproofed dispatch pods

• Dedicated wellness spaces to support mental and emotional health

These aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities for professionals working in a 24/7, high-intensity environment. The county made a conscious decision to invest not only in systems and software, but in people.

Built to Last, Ready for the Future

Beyond the environmental features and mental health supports, the facility includes:

• A fully equipped Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

• Redundant communications and data infrastructure for 24/7 reliability

• Flexible space that can evolve with future technologies and threats

• Community-accessible meeting areas for education, coordination, and outreach

This is infrastructure that thinks beyond today, it’s built for the next 20 years and beyond.

A Regional Win

This facility is the product of real collaboration: between county officials, municipal leaders, public safety professionals, sustainability experts, and economic development partners. It took vision. It took trust. And it took years of behind-the-scenes work to align dozens of stakeholders behind one unified goal.

Today, that work stands as a model not just for Lake County, but for any region that wants to lead with purpose.

As someone who lives and works in Lake County, it’s incredibly encouraging to see this kind of forward-thinking investment in our future. This facility raises the bar for what regional operations can be.