“I am thrilled for the men and women of the police and fire departments who put their lives on the line for us every day,” Mayor Joel Greer said. “They now have a professional facility to do their work.”

With nearly two years of construction, 14 years of planning and coordination, numerous public forums and two public bond referendums, Chief of Police Mike Tupper and Fire Chief David Rierson believe all has generated an excellent return on investment.

Police

“On a scale of one to 10, this police facility is a 20,” Tupper said. “Importantly, every aspect of it has been designed and built with officer and public safety in mind. For example, once a suspect is brought into the facility, officers will have significantly more control over the suspect versus the old facility downtown. There, an officer would have to park their vehicle outside police headquarters and take the suspect in custody down a dark alley. The officer would have to deal with rain, ice and snow, but not here. At the old facility, we were only a door panic bar away from a major incident. It was not safe for our staff, volunteers or residents.”

T-R FILE PHOTO
The city of Marshalltown invites the public to attend ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new joint Marshalltown Police Department/Police Department facility 6 p.m. Tuesday. Here, the public will see the large screens used by operators in the E-911 Emergency Dispatch Center on the second floor.

In the new facility, suspects will be detained in one of three separate detention cells.

“Due to lack of room at the other facility, witnesses, suspects and victims would sometimes have to wait in close proximity to each other,” Tupper said.

Another safety feature for officers and detectives are panic strips installed in interview rooms.

Should personnel need assistance dealing with a suspect, they press a strip on the wall which by a loud alarm alerts other officers and E-911 dispatchers help is needed.

Video and audio recordings of suspect, victim and witness statements will be made in one of six new interview rooms as well, as defense attorneys judges, juries and prosecutors are demanding that kind of evidence when trying cases.

Downtown headquarters had one interview room.

Tupper also cited purchase of a new training simulator where an active shooter confronts law enforcement and the installation of a safe rooms, where victims of domestic abuse can find safety.

“We have had cases of domestic abuse victims literally running from their abusers into the old police department on North Center Street,” he said. “We are better prepared for that reality at the new facility.”

Tupper recently said he and staff were thrilled to have been in the new building officially beginning noon, Aug. 29.

“We have made some adjustments with heating and air conditioning,” he said.

Fire Department

For Rierson and Deputy Fire Chief Chris Cross, the fire department side was also designed with firefighter safety in mind.

“Incidents of fire department vehicles backing into firefighters in or near fire stations is a major cause for injuries or fatalities,” Cross said. “Here, we have plenty of room to depart and enter with our vehicles in a safe and timely manner.”

The main entrance to the police and fire station features a high ceiling and open space.

To respond to a call, firetrucks will exit east side doors and take a hard right onto Second Street or proceed east on East Anson Street. They will return through another set of doors on the building’s west side.

Rierson said he was excited the new building will have room to house all of the MFD’s equipment – from fire trucks to boats – in one location. Previously, equipment was kept in the fire station and at two other city-owned sites.

“In the event of a water rescue, we can get to the scene much faster since all of our equipment is here,” Rierson said. “I was ready to move in back in March, but it was worth the wait.”

Cross said the fire department kitchen in the new facility has much more room than the former location, a significant convenience since firefighters are on duty for 24-hours straight.

E-911

E-911 dispatch operators now housed in the public safety building will no longer have to deal with rain water damaging sensitive electronic equipment and repeated sewage back-ups impacting their health.

Both were common issues at their previous basement headquarters at 22 N. Center St.

Dispatchers moved out of their dark, windowless basement earlier this week and began operations in their new home Tuesday.

There, they have the most up-to-date communication equipment at their disposal in taking emergency calls from Marshall County residents while dispatching emergency responders and UnityPoint Health-Marshalltown ambulances.

Marshall County Emergency Management Coordinator Kim Elder said larger monitors and enhanced technology at the new facility has made a dispatcher’s job easier with improved communication with emergency responders.

“The difference between the new and old facility equipment is night and day,” Elder said. “More and larger screens means the dispatchers will not have to flip from screen to screen as often”

Their safety was also taken into consideration as well.

In the event of severe weather, hurricane-resistant metal screens will lower to cover several windows.

Dispatchers now have lockers and a lunch room since they are required to remain at the center for their entire 12-hours shift.

Community Support

“The new facility is a major milestone in the growth and development of our community,” at-large councilor Bill Martin said. “Moving forward with pride and progress will have a positive effect on our public safety personnel recruitment and retention and our new public safety facility will serve Marshalltown well into the future ”

City Administrator Jessica Kinser said the facility is one that evokes pride in Marshalltown.

“As I watched the exterior and interior of the building developed, I have felt an overwhelming sense of pride,” she said. “This is a beautiful facility which will house two important departments in our community. We should all be proud of how this project came together and how it will serve as a source of pride in our community for years to come.”

Veteran fourth ward councilor Al Hoop agreed.

“I feel strongly about the new joint facility,” Hoop said. “It gives police a dry, clean, healthy place to work. The firefighters have a safe clean building to work. All of the MFD’s equipment is now housed in one place. There are joint meeting and fitness rooms too, which is cost effective. This was a long time coming and most deserving. Thank you Marshalltown residents.”

Hoop was an initial proponent of a joint facility to save on construction and utility costs versus building two separate facilities.

Voters responded to the idea in August 2016, by approving a bond referendum by a nearly two to one margin with costs capped at $17.5 million.

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