New 911 Dispatch Control Room: 8 Sustema Cockpit Consoles Built for Ergonomics & Uptime

ABOUT THE CLIENT

When a county-level public safety agency decides to build a new dispatcher control room, the goal is never just “new furniture.” The mission is continuity: clear decisions under pressure, reliable technology, and a workspace that supports 12-hour shifts without sacrificing performance.

In this project, the agency’s leadership and dispatch team set a straightforward mandate—create a room that helps operators stay locked in, reduces the physical wear-and-tear that accumulates across long shifts, and gives IT a clean, serviceable infrastructure they can maintain without disrupting operations.

From the outset, the agency’s planning team also understood a key truth about modern emergency communications: the console is no longer a desk. It is a technology platform—power, data, devices, visibility, alerting, and ergonomics all converge at the operator position.

That reality shaped every decision that followed, and it’s exactly where Sustema excels: purpose-built control room environments engineered for high uptime and high human performance.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The scope was clear and ambitious: design and furnish a brand-new dispatcher control room anchored by eight Sustema Cockpit Consoles, configured to support multi-screen operations and the technology density that comes with mission-critical communications.

This was not a “drop furniture into a room” engagement. The room required a coordinated approach—console layout, technology integration, cable routing, operator adjustability, and future maintenance considerations all had to work together as one system.

Sustema’s role was to deliver operator positions that make it easy to maintain focus, keep equipment secure and ventilated, and simplify service access for IT—without creating visual clutter or physical pinch points that compromise day-to-day work.

Because dispatcher environments evolve (new radios, new CAD interfaces, new display requirements), the agency also needed a platform that could adapt over time. That meant specifying consoles and infrastructure with integrated pathways for both power and data, and service-friendly access points so upgrades don’t become downtime events.

ABOUT THE SOLUTION

Sustema delivered a cohesive operator platform built around the Cockpit Console—a workstation engineered specifically for control room performance, not general office use.

Ergonomics engineered into the workstation (not added later)

Each console incorporates motorized lifting columns controlled by an integrated keypad, enabling sit/stand height adjustment to fit different operators and different tasks across a shift. This is not a convenience feature—it’s the backbone of an ergonomic strategy that helps dispatchers maintain neutral posture, vary working positions, and reduce fatigue that can affect both comfort and attentional stamina.

Sustema also designed the operator surface with durable construction details—HPL worksurfaces with urethane edging to stand up to constant use while maintaining a comfortable contact edge. Integrated levelers provide up to 1 inch of adjustment, ensuring stability and proper alignment across the full console run.

Display positioning that supports speed and accuracy

In a multi-screen environment, where seconds matter, monitor placement is a performance variable. The Cockpit Console supports articulated monitor arm mounting and includes a focal adjustment system that allows monitors to glide forward and backward easily—helping each dispatcher set optimal viewing distance and angle without improvised fixes.

Cable management designed for uptime

Control rooms fail when service becomes difficult. Sustema’s approach is to design serviceability into the furniture itself. Each console uses surface frames that route cables into cable chains, securing movement and intentionally separating power and data to keep pathways organized and reduce risk during adjustments or troubleshooting.

In addition, the supporting wall infrastructure includes internal cable channels—with defined routing for data and power—and finishing panels that are easily removable without tools, so IT can access pathways quickly without dismantling the workspace. That “no-tools access” is a practical advantage: it shortens service windows, reduces disruption, and makes cleanliness and re-cabling achievable rather than avoided.

Secure, ventilated technology storage—built in

Each console includes CPU storage designed for the realities of 24/7 operation: hinged, ventilated, lockable front and back doors, two sliding CPU shelves on ball-bearing slides, and even lighting in the CPU storage to support visibility during maintenance. This detail matters: it protects equipment, supports cooling, and helps technicians work faster and safer when access is required.

Smart integrations that support operator performance

A dispatcher position is an environment, not just a surface. The consoles incorporate elements that elevate situational awareness and comfort: an under-surface LED strip, integrated bump/tape switch functionality at the surface, and accessory options such as status lights with multiple colors for at-a-glance signaling.

The system also supports integrated power delivery, including power bars and a desktop monument designed to consolidate power and connectivity at the operator position.

Collectively, these features create what the best control rooms aim for: fewer distractions, fewer workarounds, and a workstation that behaves like infrastructure—stable, predictable, and ready for the next shift.

ABOUT THE RESULTS

Dispatchers can stay focused—because the workstation removes friction

In high-consequence environments, focus is protected when the workspace is intuitive. With height adjustability, stable surfaces, and monitor positioning that can be tuned in seconds, dispatchers spend less time “fighting the desk” and more time maintaining situational awareness. The result is a room that supports consistent performance across long shifts, across different operator body types, and across changing task loads.

Ergonomics that actively reduce injury risk and fatigue

The new console platform directly supports healthier posture and movement. Sit/stand capability via lifting columns and keypad control encourages variation during the day, reducing the sustained static positions that contribute to discomfort and repetitive strain.

Durable edges and properly engineered support components also help prevent the “small” daily irritations that accumulate into real ergonomic issues over months and years.

IT can service and evolve the room without increasing downtime

From an operations standpoint, one outcome stands above the rest: maintainability. The combination of organized routing (surface frames to cable chains), separation of power and data, tool-free access panels, and defined pathways inside the wall infrastructure means technicians can diagnose, replace, and upgrade systems with significantly less disruption.

CPU storage lighting, sliding shelves, and lockable ventilated enclosures further reduce service time while protecting critical equipment.

A future-ready platform, delivered the Sustema way

Ultimately, this new dispatcher control room is more than a set of eight consoles—it’s a purpose-built environment that aligns people, process, and technology. By delivering ergonomics, cable discipline, and smart integration as one coordinated solution, Sustema helped create a room where dispatchers can operate at their best—and IT can keep systems performing at their highest level—shift after shift.

Ready to plan your next control room upgrade?

Whether you’re building a new dispatch center or modernizing an existing room, Sustema makes it easy to define requirements, align stakeholders, and move from concept to installation with confidence.

Start by completing our Console Survey—a short, structured questionnaire that captures your operational goals, technology footprint, monitor counts, room constraints, and ergonomic priorities so our team can recommend the right console configuration from day one.

Once we receive your survey, we’ll schedule a working session to translate your inputs into a tailored layout and integration plan—so you can begin the process quickly, reduce surprises, and build a room that performs as hard as your team does.