The Village of Caledonia needed both a new police station and a fire station as both facilities had reached the end of their useful lives. The fire station was built before modern technology, paramedicine, and co-ed staff were common, and the police station had experienced damage from flooding. The Village of Caledonia came to Riley with the bold vision of building one facility to house both the police and fire departments under one roof.
The new 56,660 SF state-of-the-art combined facility was designed to meet the evolving needs of the community, accommodate increased staff, and allow for future growth. The location of the facility was selected to achieve faster response times as determined by a study conducted by the International Association of Fire Fighters. Combining the two departments under one roof strengthened public safety operations and saved taxpayer money by sharing common spaces such as the lobby, public meeting/training room, and fitness space. Both departments have dedicated secure spaces within the facility.
The police department area includes a vehicle garage, office space, forensics and evidence areas, interview rooms, an armory, and holding cells. The fire department includes a new vehicle/truck garage, sleeping quarters, office space, a training room, and a day room with a modern kitchen and dining area. The fire station includes private sleeping quarters and gender-neutral bathrooms to better accommodate the growing co-ed staff, adequate space for training, equipment and medical supply storage, an upgraded day room and kitchen. The station features three double-deep apparatus bays with space for gear and a state-of-the-art vehicle exhaust system.
