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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Coon Rapids Firefighters Open New Station 3 to Community Saturday for Annual Fire Department Open House
Families can tour the new Fire Station 3, explore fire and emergency vehicles, spray a fire hose and watch safety and rescue demonstrations Saturday as the Coon Rapids Fire Department turns its annual open house into two hours of hands-on public-safety education.
COON RAPIDS, MN (October 7, 2026).
Coon Rapids residents will have an opportunity Saturday morning to go beyond seeing fire engines responding to emergencies and instead step inside a fire station, meet the firefighters who answer those calls and learn more about the equipment, training and safety practices behind the department's work.
The Coon Rapids Fire Department will hold its annual Fire Department Open House Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to noon at the new Fire Station 3, 3150 111th Ave., across from Anoka-Ramsey Community College. The free event will give residents an opportunity to tour the station, examine fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, spray a fire hose and watch safety and rescue demonstrations conducted by firefighters.
The city says a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter is also expected to participate, weather permitting. Sparky the Fire Dog and Freddy the Fire Truck are scheduled to appear, and refreshments will be available.
Although the trucks, equipment and children's activities are likely to attract much of the attention, the annual open house also serves a practical public-safety purpose. The Coon Rapids Fire Department describes the event as an opportunity for firefighters to interact directly with residents while providing fire-safety education in an informal setting.
That interaction can be particularly valuable for children. Firefighters wearing protective equipment, emergency vehicles, alarms and other elements of an emergency response can be intimidating when a child's first encounter with them happens during a fire, medical emergency or rescue. Meeting firefighters and seeing their equipment during an open house gives families an opportunity to make those sights and sounds more familiar before an emergency occurs.
The demonstrations also allow residents to learn more about work that ordinarily happens outside public view. Modern fire departments respond to considerably more than structure fires. Firefighters routinely answer medical calls, vehicle crashes, hazardous situations, rescues and other emergencies requiring specialized training and equipment. Saturday's open house gives residents a closer look at some of those responsibilities while allowing firefighters to reinforce basic prevention and safety information.
This year's location adds another reason for residents to attend because the event is being held at the new Fire Station 3. Station tours will allow visitors to see the facility from which firefighters respond to emergencies in the surrounding community and gain a better understanding of how a modern fire station accommodates personnel, emergency vehicles, equipment and daily operations.
For younger visitors, the department has built much of the event around hands-on interaction. Children will be able to see fire trucks up close, spray a fire hose under supervision and meet Sparky the Fire Dog and Freddy the Fire Truck. The planned Minnesota State Patrol helicopter appearance will broaden the event beyond the fire department by giving families an opportunity to see another piece of emergency-response equipment, although its participation will depend on weather conditions.
The open house comes during October, when fire departments traditionally devote additional attention to home fire prevention and public education. The Coon Rapids event provides a local setting for those conversations and allows residents to ask questions directly of firefighters rather than relying solely on brochures, websites or public-service announcements.
That face-to-face contact can help families think more deliberately about smoke alarms, home escape plans and what children should do during a fire. It also gives residents an opportunity to become familiar with the firefighters serving their neighborhoods before an emergency requires their assistance.
For the department, the annual gathering provides something that routine emergency calls rarely allow: time to meet residents without the pressure of a crisis. For the community, it offers a chance to understand more about the people, equipment and preparation behind the emergency response residents depend upon throughout the year.
There is no admission charge, and the city does not list an advance registration requirement. Residents can attend at any point during the two-hour event.
The Coon Rapids Fire Department Open House takes place Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to noon at Fire Station 3, 3150 111th Ave. Activities include station tours, fire and emergency vehicles, fire-hose activities, safety and rescue demonstrations and refreshments. Sparky the Fire Dog and Freddy the Fire Truck are scheduled to attend, along with a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter if weather conditions permit.
For Coon Rapids residents who ordinarily encounter firefighters only when an engine passes through the community with lights flashing and sirens sounding, Saturday offers a different kind of introduction. Families can spend the morning inside the station, see the equipment firefighters use, watch demonstrations, ask questions and meet the people whose work often begins at the moment somebody else's ordinary day becomes an emergency.
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