Woodbury, MN Police Fire EMS

A friendly reminder the last day to request a Night to Unite block party visit from our Public Safety team is 4 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, July 26!

Visit woodburymn.gov/NightToUnite for more information and to submit a request. 🚓🚒🚑

Help us line the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride route to cheer on the riders!

The ride takes place this Saturday, July 27 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Woodbury Veterans Memorial, located at City Hall, and will follow the below route map.

This ride is a multi-day cycling experience where veteran warriors meet other warriors, push their limits beyond what they think is possible, and leave with a deeper understanding of who they are and what they are capable of!

Please note public safety escorts will be assisting in the event. Thank you for your cooperation as the riders make their way through town.

Please help us welcome Officer Richard Thao, Officer Evan Rust, Firefighter Brong Khang and Firefighter Hannah Campbell, we are honored they chose the Woodbury community to serve!

These four individuals along with their families and a room full of teammates, joined a City Council meeting where they were sworn in by Mayor Burt and had their badges pinned on by a loved one.

We look forward to serving alongside these individuals and are happy to have them on our team!

Last week, Sergeant Scott Melander had the honor of presenting the Community Member Lifesaving Award to Woodbury teenager, Chizim Abagi!

The Community Member Lifesaving Award is presented to a community member who has demonstrated courage and bravery in saving a life. In May of 2024, Chizim’s quick and courageous actions saved a young child from drowning in a backyard pool.

Read more about Chizim’s actions and Lifesaving Award at https://bit.ly/3W7twGd

Prepare your family, work and home for an emergency!

Woodbury's new personal preparedness class is led by experienced instructors who will guide you through real-world scenarios and interactive examples that will help prepare you and your family for disasters the community may face. Participants will learn how to create a customized preparedness plan for their family and home, what items to include in an emergency kit and additional tips to stay safe during and after a disaster. Personal preparedness classes are free to attend, but registration is required. For more information and to register, visit woodburymn.gov/PersonalPreparedness

Officer Luke spotted this kiddo wearing a helmet while riding her bike and presented her with a Safety Award for a free kid's meal at Raising Cane's! These awards are just as much fun for officers as they are for the kids receiving them!

Night to Unite is Tuesday, Aug. 6!

Night to Unite is an annual evening of celebrations focused on meeting new neighbors, building neighborhood relationships, and strengthening our commitment to a safe community. We hope you and your neighbors can celebrate the evening with a block party or something similar!

Our Police Officers and Firefighters enjoy stopping by Night to Unite celebrations to connect with community members, share stories, answer questions and hand out stickers and glow sticks to the littles. Please register your event with us so we can stop by!
woodburymn.gov/nighttounite

Please review the below update regarding the Fourth of July Hometown Celebration.

Meet School Resource Officer Rudy Wessels!

Officer Rudy Wessels’ experience with the Woodbury Police Department began as a Police Explorer in 2010. He continued serving Woodbury as a Community Service Officer, became a Police Officer in 2015 and now serves as Woodbury High School’s School Resource Officer! Officer Rudy has held many roles with our department, including a Community Service Officer mentor, Police Explorer advisor, Reserve Officer advisor, Fi****ms Apprentice, Fire Fighter and a Field Training Officer.

Check out what Rudy has to say about being a police officer with Woodbury!

“Growing up, my father was a deputy for Washington County and my mother worked in support services for Woodbury’s Police Department (she still does). As I was looking at a career, I knew I wanted a profession that was not a typical desk job and allowed me to give back to the community. Knowing this and growing up with my parents showing me what working in law enforcement was all about, is why I become a Police Officer. Being there for and helping the people in our community on their worst days is something I love. As a School Resource Officer, I also really enjoy making connections and relationships with the youth in Woodbury.

My very favorite thing about working in Woodbury is the people-hands down, the people! I feel blessed and fortunate every day to work with my teammates. Here in Woodbury PD, we have a supportive command team, a great community with endless support, wonderful teammates and great equipment, resources and support.”

Officer Rudy is just one of our many compassionate and courageous officers who daily make a positive impact on the lives of our community. Our recruitment team would love to tell you more about our department, our people, policing in Woodbury and our community. Contact them in the link in the comments.

These future recruits are already rockin' their fire helmets and (sticker) badges! 🚒

Earlier this week EMS Fire Cadets Hana and Nora talked with a few day campers all about how firefighters help, the gear they use and fire safety tips.

This past weekend, Woodbury officers joined athletes from Special Olympics Minnesota to bring the “flame of hope” into the summer games and light the Olympic Torch to signify the start of Special Olympics Summer games! The athletes who participate in Special Olympics inspire us and we always enjoy participating in their events throughout the year.

🎉🎈Happy 6th birthday to K9 Cirrus! 🎉🎈

From a little cadet pup to a strong and sharp 6 year old K9-we are grateful to have K9 Cirrus as part of our team!

Thank you Woodbury Police K9 Fund for generously donating K9 Cirrus to our team and for your continual support of our K9 partners!

Join us in celebrating Woodbury’s newest Patrol Sergeant, Sergeant Brett Roddy! 🎉🎉🎉

Earlier this month we celebrated with Sergeant Roddy and his family as he was promoted from Police Officer to Sergeant! Sergeant Roddy has been with Woodbury’s Police Department for more than 11 years and has served in the role of patrol officer, firefighter and on the Mobile Field Force. We are very proud of Sergeant Roddy and are looking forward to seeing him lead in his newest role!

Meet K9 Officer Emily Wessels!

Officer Emily Wessels’ experience with the Woodbury Police Department began as a Community Service Officer. From there, she became a Police Officer in 2015 and her current partner, K9 Kane, joined her in 2022! Officer Emily also mentors new officers as a Field Training Officer and is one of our Trainers for current officers too.

Check out what Emily has to say about being a police officer with Woodbury!

“I became a police officer because people usually call us on some of the worst days of their lives. I like to help people in those moments and through the situation in whatever way I can. I wanted a job that didn't involve sitting at a desk and I enjoy that no two days are the same. One of the most impactful assignments I have had is being a K9 Officer! Most people love dogs and it a great way to start a conversation with community members and build rapport.

My favorite thing about working in Woodbury are the people I work with and our community members. I get to work with some of the best police officers who have such a variety of knowledge and I learn something new on every shift. I enjoy that my partners and I are a family - sometimes we spend more time together on a shift than we do with our own family members! The community and the support from my partners makes even the most challenging shifts worth it.

As a Woodbury Police Officer, I get the opportunity to experience a variety of different calls each day. I get to balance being reactive and responding to calls, but I also get to do proactive work between calls. I always feel supported, all the way from my sergeant to our command staff to our city council.”

Officer Emily is just one of our many compassionate and courageous officers who daily make a positive impact on the lives of our community. Our recruitment team would love to tell you more about our department, our people, policing in Woodbury and our community. Contact them in the link in the comments.

Police departments across the Twin Cities kicked off the summer biking season with the Thomson Reuters Build-A-Bike event! Our Woodbury team assembled 10 bikes that will be given to Woodbury youth in need this coming summer. We are very thankful for Thomson Reuters who provides all the needed materials and hosts this event each year! We are looking forward to seeing the joy from the kiddos who receive these bikes!

Our Spring Youth Police Academy finished up a few weeks ago! Over 15 middle school students enjoyed five afternoons learning about police work, equipment and our team members. Our team was honored to meet these incredible young leaders and have the opportunity to build relationships with them!

We plan on offering a Fall Youth Police Academy in September. Please be on the look out for registration in late August.

Join our team as a full-time Firefighter Paramedic!

Woodbury EMS Fire is a dynamic and growing destination department in the Twin Cities Metro and is currently recruiting for full-time Firefighter Paramedics. Enjoy working with state-of-the-art equipment and apparatuses, while serving a community that supports and values their first responders.

For more information, please visit Woodburymn.gov/FireJobs

On Friday, May 31, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Woodbury Police responded to the 1900 block of Donegal Drive. Employees had arrived at the business at approximately 4:20 a.m. and found vandalism to the building that had occurred during the overnight hours. Woodbury Police arrived and found glass broken and words spray-painted on the building. We are actively investigating this case as a crime motivated by bias. These actions will not be tolerated and will be charged to the fullest extent possible once the investigation is complete.

Our hearts are heavy with the tragic news of another officer giving the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others. We hold closely in our hearts the families, friends, partners and communities impacted.

May is bike safety month and we could not let the month slip by without sharing some bike safety tips from our Woodbury Police Bike Patrol team!

🪖 Wear a helmet. Everyone-at every age-should wear a bicycle helmet.
💡 Be visible. Ride where people can see you and wear bright clothing. Use a white front light, red rear light and reflectors at night and when visibility is poor.
🚲 Be predictable. Make your intentions clear to everyone on the road. Ride in a straight line, signal turns and ride within the rules of the road.
👍 Bike ready. Before riding, check that your tires are sufficiently inflated, brakes are working, chains run smoothly and quick release levers are closed.
🤔 Think ahead. Anticipate what drivers, pedestrians and other people on bikes will do next. Watch for turning vehicles, look out for debris, potholes, and other road hazards.

Did you know our team assisted our community with more than 57,000 calls in 2023? We’re proud of the dedicated service our first responders provide, and we’re invested in ensuring future service to our community.

That’s why we’ve begun planning for an integrated Public Safety Campus project – check out the city’s website for more about the project: www.woodburymn.gov/Public-Safety-Campus-Project

The public is invited to honor service men and women at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m. The ceremony takes place at the Woodbury Lions Veterans Memorial, located on the City Hall campus at 8301 Valley Creek Road.

Please note: a 3-round cannon salute and 3-round rifle salute is planned during the annual Memorial Day Ceremony as well as during their practice the evening of Friday, May 24.

In observance of Memorial Day, the administration offices of Public Safety will be closed on Monday, May 27. As always, our Police, EMS and Fire team are available to help by calling 911.

Last week, Officer John Miller and Detective Adam Olson were recognized by MADD Minnesota for their contributions towards DUI enforcement. Officer Miller made 33 DUI arrests and Detective Olson made 35 DUI arrests in 2023. While we will never know how many crashes were prevented, lives saved, or other emergencies avoided because of these arrests, we’re proud to acknowledge their incredible work! Thank you, Officer Miller and Detective Olson for the passion and dedication you have for keeping our community safe from impaired drivers.

The week of May 19 marks the 50th annual National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week! Woodbury EMS Fire team members help save lives by responding to medical emergencies, providing medical care onsite and in route to a hospital. Every day we are thankful for our EMS Fire team, but this week particularly we send a big thank you for the sincere care, deep compassion, top-notch skill and tremendous dedication they give to our community on every call!

This week, May 12-18, we celebrate National Police Week by recognizing the law enforcement officers who serve and protect our communities. We also honor and remember officers, around the country, who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

We are more than grateful for our officers who selflessly serve and protect our communities, who make daily sacrifices to answer their calling and who respond to every call with bravery, courage and unwavering compassion for those in great need.

Thank you, Officers, for serving our community with compassion and courage each and every day.