Upgrades In Store For Aurora 911 Call Center Thanks To $2M In Funding

AURORA, IL — Aurora's 911 dispatch center will be reenvisioned and renovated with the help of $2.28 million in federal funding secured by Rep. Bill Foster.

Foster's office announced he secured almost $26 million in Community Project Funding for Illinois's 11th District, which he represents. More than $13.5 million of the total went to Aurora, with $2,280,000 allocated for the Aurora Public Safety Technology Project, Patch reported.

The representative was invited to Aurora City Council's Feb. 14 regular meeting, where he presented the city with a check. Mayor Richard Irvin also presented Foster with the Mayor's Award for Excellence as a thank-you for securing community funding for the police department and other local organizations.

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The Aurora Public Safety Technology Project will bring upgrades to the main 911 center at the Aurora Police Department as well as the backup dispatch center at the Aurora Fire Department.

Improvements include upgrades to the phone system, new and advanced workstation consoles, new camera and recording systems in the interview rooms and enhanced innovative noise control solutions.

"These improvements are essential for streamlining the communication of our first responders, reducing response times, and ultimately saving lives," Foster said.

In 2022, just under 20 dispatchers at the 911 center answered more than 250,000 calls, according to Clayton Muhammad, the city's chief communications officer.