Police, fire departments look forward to sharing OP facility

Construction is under way on a new building that will bring police and fire operations together in southern Overland Park.

The spacious new Overland Park Public Safety Facility, being built at 163rd Street and Antioch Road, will house stations for both departments. City officials are hoping to have a July 2016 opening for the $7.5 million facility.

The Fire Department will occupy the south portion of the building, the police on the north.

Since the fire and police departments in the area both need new stations, creating a joint facility, rather than building two separate ones, made sense, city officials said.

After all, firefighters and police officers often respond to the same calls. They work together in many emergency situations.

Plus, the facility will put both departments near the new 159th Street interchange at 69 Highway, giving easy access to other parts of town.

The 23,000-square-foot facility was custom designed to meet the current and future needs of each department.

“It’s an opportunity for both departments to work together, which I think is very exciting and important,” said Simon Harper, deputy chief of police in Overland Park. “It’s a new step forward.”

The new building will house the Police Department’s Tactical Operations Unit, which now is located in a former fire station located near 119th and Westgate streets.

When the new public safety facility opens, the police will have a larger vehicle bay, more office space, a patrol briefing room, a conference room and equipment storage, among other amenities.

Space is important for future technology, said Harper.

“Today, we have computers, cars and cameras that we never dreamed of having decades ago,” he said. “Who knows what policing will look like in twenty, thirty years. It’s important to be prepared for those resources.”

Overland Park Fire Chief Bryan Dehner agrees the extra space is vital.

The south part of town is growing rapidly, he said. It is important for the new fire station to accommodate future employees to meet the needs of the community, he added.

The new public safety building will have a bunk room capacity for 12 fire and EMS employees.

There will also be more vehicle space, office areas and a decontamination room in an isolated area.

The current fire station nearby was built for the city of Stanley’s volunteer firemen in 1980, before the city annexed that area.

It does not have a restrooms or or sleeping quarters for women.

So, firefighters are eager for the new station to be built, Dehner said.

“Everyone is looking forward to it,” Dehner said. “We really need this building.”

Although the two departments will remain separate units, the joint facility offers an opportunity for camaraderie.

The departments will share a main entrance. There will also be an exercise room between the two departments, where firefighters and police officers will work out, side by side.

Since the facility will be located near a new mixed use development, the design team used the development standards and pre-selected materials for the exteriors of the facility to blend in with its surroundings.

Materials include brick and synthetic stucco. The building will be beige, brown, and cream.

It will also have significant natural lighting.

The project will also include a new traffic signal at 163rd and Antioch, which is located at the Blue Valley West High School’s main entrance.

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Police, fire departments look forward to sharing OP facility."