Woodbury’s Public Safety Building Opens For Tour Oct. 15

Since the city finished off the refurbished , plenty of residents have been wondering when they would get a chance to tour the facility.

The answer is Saturday.

“We are excited about this opportunity to talk with citizens about what we do and demonstrate our equipment and facilities,” Public Safety Chief Lee Vague said in a statement.

The open house is set for 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, and people will be able to meet Woodbury’s public safety staff and check out the department’s vehicles and equipment. The building is at 2100 Radio Drive.

That same day, all the Woodbury fire stations will be open to the public for Fire Prevention Week. (See below.)

The nearly includes a large training room that accommodates up to 96 people and allows for “hands-on” training with police officers, firefighters and paramedics in the same room. The department had previously never had a space large enough to do that. The room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology provided by the South Washington County Telecommunications Commission, allowing for Internet access and teleconferencing. ()

The event also will highlight the expanded Radio Drive Fire Station, new offices for the fire division, conference rooms, and police roll call area on the upper level of the building addition. , another major goal of the project, is provided on the lower level.

Activities for children will include the public safety “hopper.” Visitors also can view a special display .

The expansion project incorporated a number of energy-saving and “green” features.

Chief among them are the 2,000-square-foot green roof and geothermal heating and cooling system. The city also selected carpet and furnishings with recycled content, low flow plumbing fixtures, and energy-efficient lighting, according to a release from the city.

Still under consideration, according to Parks and Recreation Director Bob Klatt, is the of the public safety building to generate a portion of the building’s electricity.

“There was little insulation or energy efficiency in the original building, and the mechanical system was 35 years old and failing,” Klatt said in a statement. “With the expansion, we have demolished the oldest portion of the Public Safety building and replaced it with a larger, but much more efficient space.”

Parking for the Oct. 15 open house will be available at the public safety building and the adjacent . Additional parking can be found at , 8301 Valley Creek Road. (A trail connects to the public safety building.)

For more information about the event call 651-714-3600.

Saturday will also give people a chance to try on the firefighters’ gear, handle the hoses used to put out fires, and check out the life-saving equipment that every ambulance carries.

Kids can climb on the fire trucks, and meet local firefighters on Oct. 15 when all of Woodbury’s fire stations host open houses.

The open houses are held each year in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme is “It’s Fire Prevention Week! Protect Your Family from Fire.”

The open houses will take place at the following stations and times:

• , 1275 Woodbury Drive, 9 a.m. to noon
• , 6301 Upper Afton Road, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• , 2100 Radio Drive, 1 to 4 p.m. (as part of the Public Safety Building event)
• , 6975 Thames Road, 3 to 6 p.m.