photo by: Douglas County

A 911 dispatcher sits in the new Douglas County Emergency Communications call center at the Public Safety Building.

Douglas County’s emergency response operations have relocated to a new Public Safety Building, providing a larger and safer space for staff as the county prepares for the FIFA World Cup and the remainder of the severe weather season.

The Douglas County Emergency Communications and Emergency Management departments have just moved into 11,500-square-feet of space in the basement of the new Public Safety Building – right next to the Douglas County Correctional Facility, 3601 E. 25th St. – just in time before FIFA World Cup activities to begin in June.

Both departments work together to keep the Douglas County community safe. Emergency Communications operates the 911 dispatch for police, fire and medical responders. Meanwhile, Emergency Management coordinates disaster preparedness, planning and community resilience before, during and after major crises.

Tony Foster, director of Emergency Communications, told the Journal-World that the space offers areas they didn’t previously have. For example, there is additional office space and conference spaces. There is also a decompression room for communicators to get some time away from stress that may arise from the 911 calls they receive.

photo by: Douglas County

The Public Safety Building, which is located next to the Douglas County Jail at 3601 East 25th St.

Foster said the Emergency Communications Center on the second floor of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center – where the department used to be housed – was less than half the size of the new one at the Public Safety Building.

“We had 10 consoles crammed into a very small space, so there was really not a lot of room to be able to actually even get between the consoles, and then it was very loud,” Foster said.

Foster said in the past, the callers could hear everything going on around them, and at times, it could be chaotic and hard to concentrate.

“This space is significantly better to be able to perform our duties,” Foster said.

But most importantly, the new space is much safer for staff, Foster said. Surrounding a majority of both Emergency Communications and Emergency Management spaces is a storm-hardened shelter with 12 inches of concrete.

“In our old building, we were on the second floor with windows surrounding our entire operation,” Foster said. “And unfortunately, during a storm or something like that, we can’t leave, so we would be in that space in a very unsafe situation.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Emergency Management Operation Center is pictured on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

A storm that immediately came to mind for Foster was the Lawrence/Linwood tornado in 2019, where lots of staff were there to assist with the severe weather event. He said that evening, he recalled all the staff having to stand while answering calls because there was no space to even sit down.

Emergency Management also had to operate from the second floor of the JLEC. John Stipetich, deputy director of Emergency Management, said his department is very thankful for the storm-hardened space.

“If there’s a tornado, and it’s coming towards us, we’re sounding the sirens, and we’re warning the public, and we’re working with dispatch,” Stipetich said, adding that staff now doesn’t have to necessarily evacuate the space to be safe. Staff can keep doing what they need to do while being in a safe place.

Another benefit is how accommodating the spaces are during large-scale events, Foster said.

“This (space) allows us to be able to actually expand during large events, especially weather events where we have to bring in extra people,” Foster said, adding that the FIFA World Cup will require extra staff as well.

“During the World Cup, we’ll have 10 to 11 people on duty to be able to handle the extra call volume, and this will allow us to be able to have a desk for everyone to sit at,” Foster said.

Right next to the call center is the Emergency Management Operation Center, where it has all the communication capabilities in the department, Stipetich said. The area includes radio equipment, back up communications for emergencies, computers with weather radar and software to initiate the 44 tornado sirens in Douglas County.

Stipetich said this center is significantly bigger than the previous space at the JLEC, and if there’s extra noise, the different radios are spread out across the room now.

“(If) they’re working on different radios, they’re not hearing too much of each other’s traffic and getting confused,” Stipetich said.

The Emergency Management Operation Center also has enough space for the department’s Skywarn Storm Spotters – which is different from storm chasers. It’s a volunteer program where storm spotters provide timely and accurate ground truth reports of severe weather and its impacts.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Office space in the new Public Safety Building, which is located next to the Douglas County Jail at 3601 East 25th St.

“Our spotters, we send them to pre-designated locations with views, ideally 360-degree views around, so that they stay where they’re at, they see what’s going on, and then they report back to us,” Stipetich said.

Stipetich said the department also now has a separate office suite from the center for all of its staff.

The Emergency Operations Center is adjacent to that room. This room is used during emergencies or a large scale event, and there is enough space for community partners and stakeholders to convene in. There are even smaller conference rooms attached to the space in case breakout rooms are needed.

While construction began on the building in spring 2025, the building still isn’t complete. In fact, there is still one more department that will be moving in this summer – the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. In July, the Sheriff’s Office will transition to the building, occupying 25,565-square-feet on the main level. There will also be a ground-mounted 138.24 kilowatt solar system installed on the site.

The Douglas County Commission approved an $81.9 million total project budget on Dec. 11, 2024, for the JLEC addition and the new Public Safety Building next to the Douglas County Correctional Facility, 3601 E. 25th St. The project did not require a tax increase, and it is funded with bonds covered under existing sales tax authority and with cash on hand. It is the largest capital improvement project in county history.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Emergency Management Operation Center is pictured on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Office space in the new Public Safety Building, which is located next to the Douglas County Jail at 3601 East 25th St.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Emergency Communications Center is pictured Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Emergency Communications Center is pictured Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Weather radar in the Emergency Management Operation Center is pictured on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Douglas County Emergency Management’s office suite is pictured on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.