KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
—
Lee's Summit's brand new Joint Operations Facility is open, bringing fire and police communications together in a shared space as the $30 million building nears its final finishing touches.
The facility was approved by voters in 2023 as part of a public safety bond that did not increase taxes. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Eden said the building not only brings together departments under one roof, it enhanced the city's technology.
"In the emergency operations center, as you can see, it is very heavy with technology. That's part of the grants that we received in order to build the facility," Eden said.
Previously, the city's communication center was housed at fire headquarters near downtown Lee's Summit. Eden said the department needed to grow.
"Our communication center used to be in our, in the basement of fire headquarters, and it's evolved over the years, and we were running out of space."
The new facility houses both fire and police dispatchers in a shared building, though Eden said the two groups continue to operate independently. The goal is not to combine the departments, but to enhance collaboration between them.
Lee's Summit resident and local business owner Dave Eames said he followed the project since its early stages.
"I heard about it a few years ago," Eames said.
Eames, who lives about a half mile from the new operations center, said the investment reflects what residents have asked for.
"We want to be the best that we can be here and that's always a great thing to do. It's taxpayers' money, but they're doing a lot of things that the citizens and voters have asked for."
The facility is also built with major events and emergencies in mind.
"World Cup is going to be a major regional event and we've been preparing for it for years, not only on a city's level, but a county level, regional level and a state level," Eden said.
The building is also engineered to withstand extreme weather.
"Designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 250 mph, plus take any debris that may hit it," he added, saying this would be the hub for emergency responses during large-scale situations.
Eden said the facility is designed to be a reliable home for the people who plan for every scenario and situation that threatens the community they serve.
The facility will feature several training rooms, including EMS, firetruck simulations and dispatcher rooms.
There will also be a Public Works traffic area and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline call center.
The new facility is located at 1001 NW Main St.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
