Proposed Fire Station Location

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Note: View Updated FAQ’s regarding the fire department’s search for a new fire department location.

Visit the Lake Johanna Fire Department website. and information about its stations, station search process, and FAQs.

Lake Johanna Fire Department Seeks New Station Location

The Lake Johanna Fire Department, at the direction of the Lake Johnna Fire Department Board, acquired from Bethel University a piece of land adjacent to the Anderson Center on Pine Tree Drive for a future fire station to better serve southern Arden Hills and Shoreview. This future station would replace the current Station 4 on Victoria Street in Shoreview.

Note: This is a fire department led project, which is a separate organization from the City of Arden Hills. The City has not received an application for development from the fire department at this point in the process; this information is for residents to be aware that a project may come forward to the city at a later date.

Timeline

The timeline for construction of a new station has not yet been decided. When the fire department has direction to move forward a fire station proposal would need to go through the city’s normal public engagement process, which includes a neighborhood meeting and public hearings at the Planning Commission and City Council.

See Proposed New Location MAP (PDF).

For More Information

Contact information for the fire department can be found at www.ljfd.org. Sign up for news alert email notifications for future meeting agendas at cityofardenhills.org/NotifyMe. If you would like additional information, please call 651-792-7800 or email planning@cityofardenhills.org.

Contact

To provide feedback on this project, contact the City Council as a whole, including the Mayor.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Project Needs Assessment

The fire department conducted a needs study in 2018 and presented its findings to the Board of Directors and each City Council in 2019. The Board of Directors and all three City Councils supported moving forward with locating and purchasing land for a new fire station.

The fire department estimates it will surpass 6,000 calls annually (16-17 calls daily) by 2026 (6% per year plus 500+ from pending development).

New developments in the service areas include: Edison Apartment & Townhomes and Loden II (Shoreview); Marriott Hotel and Summit Senior Living (Arden Hills); and North Oaks Housing Projects.

Space and Use Needs

The new site is expected to serve the breadth of the southern border (County Road D) from Cleveland Ave. to Rice St. for the next 50 years. Requirements include:

At least 3 acres for a 28,000 sf building
At least 6 drive-thru bays and 7 firefighters
Relocated training facilities to allow for first-class training with partner agencies; and relocated administrative offices to prepare for expanded operations
Project would take about 2 - 4 years to complete.

Location Needs

The new location must provide for as much safety as possible for both citizens and responders regarding access. The amount of cross-traffic at existing stations is significant. Ensuring station access off a secondary roadway as compared to a primary roadway greatly enhances safety.

Using mapping software, a corridor from Snelling to Lexington along County Road E yields the desirable location to most efficiently provide for balanced response times to the southern portion of the coverage area. Following an evaluation of potential sites, it was determined that the Pine Tree Drive property was the most suitable location.

Fire Station Funding

Funding of a new fire station would be paid for by the cities of Arden Hills, North Oaks and Shoreview. The cities pay their proportional share of the fire department’s operating and capital budgets based on a formula which takes into account each city’s calls for service over a three-year period as well as other metrics. Each city decides how to fund its cost for fire protection, but these funds typically come from a city’s general fund.

ABOUT THE LAKE JOHANNA FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Lake Johanna Fire Department (LJFD) serves some 42,000 residents in the communities of Arden Hills, North Oaks and Shoreview from three fire stations that cover a total of 31 square miles.

Current Operations

The department operates three stations (fire station locations map pdf): Station 2 - 4676 Hodgson Road, North Oaks; Station 3 - 5545 Lexington Avenue, Shoreview; and Station 4 - 3615 Victoria Street, Shoreview. The department responds to all Fire, EMS and Rescue calls and anticipates responding to over 4,000 calls in 2020. Fire Station 1, located on New Brighton Road in southern Arden Hills was closed on May 1, 2017 and not replaced.

Staffing

The department is a combination department with five full-time and 80 part-time, on-call firefighters assigned to three stations. They are cross-trained as Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians. The Department is part of the North Suburban HAZMAT team with neighboring fire departments and also operates the North Suburban Technical Rescue Team with the Roseville Fire Department.

The department currently has a minimum of six firefighters on duty 24/7 and staffs two fire stations. When additional manpower or equipment is needed, off duty personnel are called back for assistance.

2019 Statistics

In 2019, the Lake Johanna Fire Department responded to 3,820 calls for service in the three contract cities. 1,138 of these calls were for service in Arden Hills, which accounted for 29.8 percent of all department calls and reflects an increase of 99 calls over last year’s Arden Hills totals.

View the full 2019 annual report (PDF)