Mayor’s Ad-Hoc Public Safety Building Committee 2024

Charge

The Mayor’s Ad-hoc Public Safety Building Committee will attend meetings with the Office of Facilities and Energy as they finalize design and construction documents to bring the project to the bid-ready (sometimes referred to as “shovel-ready”) state.

Responsibilities

The Committee’s purpose is to:

• Make recommendations to the Office of Facilities and Energy for the hiring of a Design Team and Construction Manager

• Perform community outreach activities to ensure that residents’ voices are heard and ensure they are informed of what is happening throughout this phase of the project

Reporting

The Committee will file a periodic report to the City Council as key milestones are completed. The Committee’s webpage will be updated regularly to keep residents informed.

Committee Members

PROJECT HISTORY

On November 7, 2023, voters in Auburn voted in favor of taking the next step in building a new public safety facility in Auburn by approving bonding the construction of the facility. This vote followed years of professional facility assessments and analysis, strategic planning, public safety building committee work, site evaluations, and numerous public meetings.

The need for a new public safety building, which will be home to the Auburn Fire and Police Departments, is critical due to issues such as accessibility, accommodating a diverse workforce, lack of space and storage, and most importantly, life-health issues for first responders.

A single public safety facility, which will replace the Central Fire Station at 550 Minot Avenue, has been determined to be the best choice for both efficient delivery of services and overall costs to Auburn taxpayers. The public safety building committee did their due diligence by exploring all options, locations, and iterations of this project, and the committee felt confident that this facility makes the most sense for Auburn.

A LEGACY OF FIRE SERVICE

The Auburn Fire Department's Engine 3 Station, also known as Central Station, was built in 1972. The station is staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. And while it was cutting edge at the time of its construction, Central Fire no longer meets the needs of a contemporary and diverse fire service.

Some of the greatest challenges facing the AFD at Central Station are health risks due to lack of decontamination spaces, lack of ADA compliance, lack of training space, and inadequate storage. Safely processing contaminated gear, dispersing diesel exhaust fumes, and protecting our fire fighters from cancer-causing exposures are among our highest priorities. The facility also lacks the ability to house Auburn’s premier ladder truck which should be centrally located in the city. 

EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

In 2011, the Auburn Police Department relocated from its home at One Minot Avenue to Auburn Hall as a temporary solution for space constraints, costly needed repairs, and as a cost-saving measure for the city. Twelve years later, the agency is still working from Auburn Hall, a building that was not designed to support law enforcement functions.

A few of the challenges the APD faces at Auburn Hall include numerous safety concerns in the courtyard (prisoner interaction with the public, pedestrian safety, and access to police safety equipment), lack of adequate locker rooms, gender accommodations, lack of restrooms, training space, and insufficient storage for evidence, records, police equipment, uniforms, and supplies.

PROJECT TIMELINE

JOIN US FOR A TOUR

Take a look inside Auburn's Central Fire Station and the Auburn Police Department.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEFS

Hear from Auburn's police & fire chiefs about the challenges facing their agencies.