Case Study: Fire & Police Dispatch Center Upgrade

About the Client

The Client’s Communications Unit is responsible for handling emergency and non-emergency calls for the city and surrounding counties. In 2020 alone, the team answered 119,898 calls (excluding 9-1-1 calls), resulting in 35,935 calls for service.

Staffed with a 9-1-1/Communications Manager, 4 Supervisors, and 12 highly trained Communicators, the unit manages all 9-1-1 calls, prioritizes emergencies, and dispatches medical and fire calls to emergency partners. Operating under a four-platoon system, this team is the backbone of public safety.

About the Project

As part of the Next Generation (NG) 911 transition, our client needed to combine fire and police dispatch operations into one modern control room. The upgrade required:

• 10 dispatch workstation desks for Police and Fire Services.

• Integration of two PSAP sites and a collocated backup site.

• Accommodation for increased monitor counts and advanced technology.

• Compliance with NG911 standards and ergonomic best practices.

Mandatory Requirements Included:

• CPU cabinets with ventilation for up to 4 computer terminals.

• Dual work surfaces with height adjustability (22”–48” range).

• Monitor mounting systems for two rows of screens with focal depth adjustment.

• Task lighting, climate control (heat/fan), and acoustic paneling.

• Advanced cable management and power distribution.

The Solution

Sustema delivered custom Linear Transit consoles designed for 24/7 mission-critical environments, meeting all NG911 requirements.

Configuration:

• 5 consoles for Fire Services (5-screen setup: 3 bottom, 2 top).

• 5 consoles for Police Services (7-screen setup: 4 bottom, 3 top).

Key Features:

• Ergonomic Design: Height-adjustable surfaces with Linak control pads and memory presets.

• Technology Integration: Monitor mounting systems for multi-screen setups, Humanscale arms for flexibility.

• Personal Comfort: Built-in fans and heaters for operator well-being.

• Power & Cable Management: Multiple power bars, USB ports, and CPU enclosures with cooling fans.

• Lighting: LED task lighting with dimmable controls for reduced eye strain.

• Storage Solutions: Boxfile pedestals with high-capacity drawers for secure equipment storage.

This solution ensures fire and police dispatchers have a safe, ergonomic, and technologically advanced workspace to manage critical operations efficiently.

The Results

The project resulted in a combined fire and police control room with an open floor layout:

• Fire consoles positioned on one side, police consoles on the other.

• A collocated backup center for redundancy and disaster recovery.

• Enhanced operator comfort and workflow efficiency for 24/7 emergency response.

Peterborough now operates in a future-ready dispatch environment, supporting NG911 standards and improving public safety coordination.

Ready to Upgrade Your Dispatch Center?

Looking for ergonomic dispatcher consoles for your PSAP or emergency communications center? Sustema designs custom control room furniture that supports 24/7 mission-critical operations.

👉 Contact us today to start building a safer, more efficient dispatch environment.