Newly Renovated 911 Center Unveiled In Aurora

AURORA, IL — The newly renovated, state-of-the-art 911 center in Aurora was unveiled Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

City officials announced the project in February 2023, made possible by $2.28 million in federal funding secured by Rep. Bill Foster. Now, a year later, Mayor Richard Irvin, 911 Supervisor Jacqueline Hobday, Police Chief Keith Cross and Fire Chief Dave McCabe led the ceremony at Aurora Police Department headquarters to celebrate the unveiling.

The entire 911 center underwent a comprehensive transformation to usher in a new era of efficiency and improved communication, according to a news release.

The room's layout was also reimagined to feature new paint, plush carpeting and soundproof walls. Other upgrades include:

• Twelve state-of-the-art consoles were installed, boasting larger workspaces and special features designed to enhance functionality
• Upgraded CAD computers with enhanced graphic cards to provide quicker response times and expanded capabilities to ensure more efficient mapping and increased responsiveness
• Video monitoring wall with integrated feeds, cameras, news, an answering dashboard, ShotSpotter and training capabilities
• Status lights on each station serve as indicators for radio usage, phone engagement or general busyness

Staff at the center answer more than 250,000 calls for police, fire, medical and other city services.