Outagamie County unveils new 911 Emergency Communications Center to strengthen regional emergency response

APPLETON, Wis. — Outagamie County has officially opened its new Sheriff’s 911 Emergency Communications Center, a modern facility designed to enhance emergency response, improve coordination and meet growing public safety needs across the region. The new, 9,300-square-foot building replaces the county’s previous dispatch center, which was located in a basement space that no longer met operational, safety or accessibility standards.

The facility was designed in partnership with Wold Architects and Engineers, a regional architecture and engineering firm with extensive expertise in public safety design. Located adjacent to the existing sheriff’s office in Appleton, the new center supports dispatch operations, integrates advanced technology and provides a secure, resilient environment for critical response coordination. 

“The new Sheriff’s 911 Emergency Communications Center represents a significant investment in the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Clint Kriewaldt, Outagamie County Sheriff. “Thanks to Wold’s design and collaborative process, we now have a facility that not only meets our current operational needs but also enables us to strengthen our emergency response and deliver more peace of mind to the community.”

In addition to the dispatch center, the new facility features a large, multi-purpose training room that supports a variety of sheriff’s office operations as well as training for other county departments. The team also integrated an adjacent dispatch training room that can be opened to the main communications floor to provide overflow capacity during peak emergency events, helping ensure uninterrupted service.

Built with redundancy and resiliency at its core, the facility is equipped to maintain operations during extreme events and includes space for future expansion as the county’s needs evolve. Flexible work areas accommodate changing dispatch demands while supporting staff wellness and long-term operational efficiency. 

“Our team is proud to have partnered with Outagamie County to design and deliver an innovative, high-performing facility that supports the people who serve on the front lines of emergency response,” said Matt Bickel, government practice leader at Wold Architects & Engineers. “From day one, our goal was to understand the county’s vision and operational needs and design a space that supports that mission for years to come.”

Wold initially conducted a space needs analysis and pre-design effort for the County before being retained to design the new facility. Throughout the process, Wold worked closely with county leaders and sheriff’s representatives to ensure the final design would reflect operational goals, support long-term growth and stand as a lasting asset to the public. 

To learn more about Outagamie County, please visit https://www.outagamie.org/.

About Wold Architects & Engineers

Wold Architects and Engineers is a full-service planning, architecture and engineering firm with offices in Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota and Tennessee. As a dynamic, growth-oriented company, Wold is committed to delivering exceptional results for the communities it serves. Wold ranks No. 11 nationally in the 2024 Building Design + Construction Top 90 Justice Facility Architecture Firms for 2024 and No. 26 in the Top 180 Government Building Architecture Firms. To learn more, please visit woldae.com.