PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Port Washington's Police and Fire departments are now operating out of a new $32 million combined public safety building that opened this week, bringing expanded space, modern living quarters, and training technology that officials say will directly benefit the surrounding community.
The facility is located at the northwest corner of Grand Avenue and County Trunk Highway LL and is currently approximately $1 million under budget, according to department leaders. This week, the Port Washington Common Council also approved a developer's agreement to replace the old stations with condos.
The building includes sleeping quarters, an on-site gym, and two large garages, one for fire trucks and the other for police squad cars. The new facility represents significant upgrade in total space from the previous station, where space between vehicles was measured in inches.
"Our old facility, literally we had inches between our vehicles, at most maybe a foot or two." Port Washington Fire Chief Joe DeBoer said. "I don't think there's any immediate plans to add vehicles but there's also room to work and train out in the apparatus bay."
For firefighters like James Valentino, who like many firefighters spends roughly a third of the year on duty, the new building represents more than just extra square footage.
"We're going to be here basically a third of our year," Valentino said. "It's nice to come to a place we can actually call home."
Given the cost of the project and the property tax increases required to fund it, DeBoer pointed to new training infrastructure as a direct return on investment for residents. Among the highlights is Ozaukee County's first burn house, which allows crews to conduct live fire training exercises.
"(We can) do some live fire training. Cut some holes in roof, force doors," DeBoer said. "It gives our guys the opportunity to really practice those low frequency high acuity things."
The police department's side of the building features a state-of-the-art training simulator with 180-degree screens, allowing officers to run through live-scenario training without requiring an on-site shooting range.
"It's so much better than what we had," Port Washington Police Interim Chief Craig Czarnecki said. "It's better. It's bigger. It's ready for expansion."
The public will have a chance to see the facility firsthand at an open house planned for October. Valentino encouraged families to stop by.
"You can see all of the stuff from the road, and if you have kids, come down and say hi," Valentino said. "We'd love to show you around."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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