Police, Firefighters Stage a Housewarming

They won’t be taking reservations at the 70-bed jail in Burbank’s Police and Fire Headquarters.

But to hear the compliments at the grand opening of the $30-million facility Friday, one might confuse the basement lockup area for luxury accommodations.

“This is nice,” a woman was overheard saying to her husband, pointing to the neatly arranged bunk beds. “Can we stay here?,” she joked with a Burbank police officer.

More than six years in the making, the new 120,000 square-foot dual-purpose building at 3rd and Orange Grove streets in downtown Burbank is more than just a jail.

And as many were quick to point out, there were many reasons--from its unique artwork, in-house museum and personnel--why they think the facility is the best in California.

“As I stand in front of you today, I can honestly say there are no finer departments in the country than our own,” said Burbank Mayor Bob Kramer before several hundred who included past and present City Council members, firefighters and police officers.

Kramer added that the dual-purpose facility, one of a handful in California, represented “a commitment on our part to see that both departments will have the necessary facilities and technology to operate well into the 21st century.”

Walking around the facility--brightly adorned in hunter greens, mauves and mustards--others were less circumspect.

“Look at it! I don’t know how they could have made it any better,” said Lt. Larry Koch. “What a great place to come to work.”

The police area boasts an audio-video monitored jail and booking areas, an on-site crime lab, a computerized dispatch center using the Global Positioning Satellite system and a fiber-optic digital communications network.

The Fire Department gets room for specialized operations, including fire prevention, arson investigation and disaster preparedness units as well as storage and maintenance areas for firefighting equipment.

Also to be seen at the facility are a police and fire museum, a mural depicting police and firefighters, and dichroic glass columns reflecting blue and orange.

The project began in the 1980s, when architects were hired to build separate police and fire stations. After residents rejected a 1990 bond measure, city leaders came up with a plan to fund the building with redevelopment money.

Both departments are scheduled to move into the building Jan. 19.