The HERO Center hosted a public open house on Monday, Sept.25, inviting residents to experience a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement and public safety. A joint effort between Cottage Grove and Woodbury, the HERO Center provides education, programs, equipment, and facilities offering specialized training for law enforcement, fire, and EMS. The facility also houses a state-of-the-art indoor firing range, offering range time and firearms training to the public, as well as public safety professionals.

The doors opened from 4-7 p.m. for the open house, drawing over 1,000 people. Members of numerous law enforcement agencies were on hand to meet and talk with interested residents. Among the agencies in attendance were Minnesota State Patrol, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County Mounted Patrol, Washington County SWAT, as well as local fire and police from Cottage Grove, Woodbury, and St. Paul Park, among others.

One goal of the event was to encourage the community to come and see for themselves how law enforcement operates while enforcing public safety. Another goal was to bring people together to have fun and learn more about the equipment and the people who work to keep our communities safe.

The HERO Center staff provided tours of the building, giving attendees access to the training areas, classrooms and firearms ranges. Staff also offered people the opportunity to participate in reality-based training in the Simulation Lab.

Activities and demonstrations were planned both inside and outside of the facility. However, the weather turned rainy and windy near the beginning of the event, causing some of the outdoor demonstrations to be less robust than planned. Luckily, that didn’t stop residents from turning out and participating in the Open House.

“We were concerned the public would decide to stay home, but they didn't,” said Cottage Grove Community Engagement Officer Dan Schoen. “We had over 1,000 people come through from 4-7 p.m. We really are blessed with a community, staff, and City Council who support us.”

One outdoor demonstration that took place between rain showers was a warrant service reenactment presented by the Washington County SWAT Team. The demonstration showed officers utilizing an armored vehicle, training houses, and a police K9 to ‘apprehend’ a fictional suspect. They then showed other various tactics used in apprehension, such as distraction devices, dynamic entry tools, and even robots.
Another demonstration was the “Seatbelt Persuader,” used by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety's “Toward Zero Death” campaign. The device allowed attendees the experience of being seat-belted in a driver’s seat that can then be turned upside down, offering the user a unique perspective of exactly what a seatbelt can do to save a life in the event of a rollover crash.
Visitors were able to get up close and personal with Police K9s and a horse from the Washington County Mounted Patrol. Kids were also given the chance to shoot paintballs through the same launchers that officers use for pepper balls, which are a non-lethal tool used to help apprehend uncooperative or violent suspects.

"We really want the community to see the tools we need to use and take away any stigma they might have toward their use,” said Schoen. “They get to see why our officers train so regularly and have an understanding of why we need the equipment we have.”

The open house was a well-attended success, offering a new and fun way for residents to both communicate with and better understand the ways different law enforcement agencies work for the safety of the public.