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The HERO Center serves as a regional training facility for law enforcement, fire departments and EMS agencies.
Next Generation Heroes The HERO Center is a state-of-the-art public safety personnel training facility.
OPENING ITS DOORS IN JANUARY 2020, the HERO Center is a top-notch public safety training facility designed to help meet the needs of law enforcement, the fire department and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies in both the Woodbury and Cottage Grove communities. Breaking ground in 2011, the project was initially conceptualized by police captain Greg Rinzel of the Cottage Grove Police Department and Woodbury Police Department commander Chris Meinert
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as a way to create a convenient space for trainees. With everything under one roof, individuals save time and money on travel, and are provided with necessary equipment and space to sufficiently perform their duties. “We really want our first responders to have the opportunity to experience good training because we want them to impact their communities by being the best that they can be,” HERO Center's Dan Anselment says. Funded partially by the state through an
$11 million bond, the remainder $10 million for the project was supported through a joint-power agreement by both communities. The facility includes a padded room for response-to-resistance training and defensive tactics, outdoor houses for crime scene and tactical SWAT training, fire pumps and standpipes for water access for fire trainees, an outdoor canine training area and more. In addition to professional training, the HERO Center also provides courses and services to the public. Course
PHOTO: THE HERO CENTER
BY AVA DIAZ
