The Tompkins County 911 Center serves the 100,000+ people who live in this Upstate New York county. Although much of the county is rural, the County Seat of Ithaca is home to Ithaca College and Cornell University. The dispatch center handled nearly 140,000 calls in 2024 alone.

After installing new consoles at the center, Susanne Lottie, Director of Dispatch Sales with Xybix, discussed the process and the results with John Halaychik, Assistant Director of the Tompkins County 911 Center. Watch the interview here and check out the highlights below.

As technology advancements continue to streamline healthcare and improve patient outcomes, the personal touch of a professional interior designer can help. A telemetry lab, command center, or radiology lab that is thoughtfully designed—from the layout and lighting to the desks and colors—is proven to improve productivity, employee health and satisfaction, and, most importantly, patient care. Read on for six ways a degreed and experienced designer can help optimize a new or remodeled healthcare space.

It’s a common question: "What’s the average lifespan of dispatch console furniture?" Potential customers often raise this question, which calls to mind advice shared by a real estate agents during house-hunting: should buyer's ask why sellers are selling? "No, they won’t give you the full story anyway.” It's a fair point. No one’s likely to admit, “The neighbor’s dog barks all night and drives us crazy.“ When questions about console furniture durability arise, it’s tempting to make a remarks like, “It lasts a thousand years!” But the topic is important. Everyone wants to know if the furniture will endure or if unexpected replacement costs will crop up in just a few years. Here is an informed and detailed perspective on what to expect.

A "Meet and Measure" with Xybix is much more than just pulling out a measuring tape and jotting down wall dimensions. It’s the first step in creating a workspace that’s custom designed to your needs. Think HGTV-style renovation, but for your dispatch center! Here’s a  guide to help you prepare and know what to expect during this crucial first step in the process.

Building or remodeling a center for 911 dispatch, utilities, transportation, or security is not something you do every day. Control room projects are critical but not common. In fact, given that technical furniture consoles generally are made to last 10 to 20 years, you may be involved in only 1 or 2 console purchases in your entire career. As a result, we know you have questions. To help, I’ve rounded up the most common questions we encounter and provided quick answers along with sources for more information. As always, feel free to reach out to Xybix with any questions.

How Panels Improve Productivity and Morale in 911 Dispatch Operation Centers

Acoustic divider panels in a 911 dispatch or operations center can you help walk that fine line between a cubicle farm and an open office. Most employees hate both options—and yet they crave the privacy and relative quiet of a cubicle along with the easy access to their neighbors in an open space. You can get the best of both worlds with a panel system designed specifically for your consoles, your floor layout, and your PSAP’s specific communications style. Here’s an example of panels with glass tiles.

How Dispatch Console Manufacturers Partner with Architects

Most dispatch console manufacturers—including Xybix—are expert with the shoehorn. We help PSAPs and operation centers add or replace consoles as needed, and our designers work with the center to make it all fit. We love the creativity that goes into this process, and we’re happy to be involved in any upgrade or remodeling project.

That said, when console manufacturers get the chance to be involved from the inception of a project, we jump! For a new center—not hampered by tight spaces or weird columns—we can employ all our innovative technologies and years of experience in creating functional and inviting floor layouts. Plus, we bring the expertise in the unique needs of dispatch centers to the architects and interior designers involved in the project. Read on for details.

Why IT Access Matters to 911 Dispatch Centers for Emergencies

Backup 911 call centers used to be bare bones—just enough to get the dispatchers up and running at a moment’s notice. These days, PSAPs are starting to build more robust backup centers, likely due to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Whatever the cause of this trend, creating a space with a similar setup helps PSAPs remain mission ready and maintain response times, no matter where they are located.

Monitors and computers are critical to the work of radiologists, which means that imaging desks need to carefully handle that equipment. This includes providing easy access for IT, so they can quickly swap out a computer or monitor as needed.