Preliminary Drawings for new PD, FD and City Hall

Police Department building

The current Ravenna Police Department was originally built in 1922 as a multi-purpose structure.  It contained the Police Department, Fire Department, and City Hall.  With 13-inch exterior walls and the “latest” in fireproof construction (asbestos), it was built to be completely fireproof.  Unfortunately, that means that it is largely 21st-century-proof as well.  Wireless signals are blocked in most areas of the building.
Renovations of the Police & Fire in 1979 were designed to make the building more accessible, with an elevator being installed along with a wheelchair accessible ramp.  With the construction of the new Fire Department next door, Police Dispatch was able to expand from one small room to a more secure and self-contained Dispatch Center.
The Police Department Squad room, on the 2nd floor, is where our officers stop by to write reports and make calls when not out on the road.  It was last remodeled three (3) years ago.  Our Dispatch Center, which dispatches for Ravenna City police, Marlboro Township police, Ravenna City Fire, and several other agencies in Portage County, occupies what used to be part of the old apparatus bay when the building was constructed in 1922.  With four (4) stations, of which two (2) are staffed 24/7, dispatchers are trained multi-taskers.  They are the “thin gold line” of law enforcement and EMS services.
The police station used to occupy the basement of 200 S. Park Way from the 1920’s up until the major remodel in 1979.  It is divided into two (2) sections: prisoner lockup/meter repair, and what is now records/evidence storage.  Lockup featured four (4) cells, each with three (3) bunks, for housing prisoners.  Due to deteriorating conditions and rising expenses, inmates haven’t been kept here since 1977.  The old cells remain but are now home to storing things that aren’t used very often.  Historically, it is really neat, but functionally, it is not usable space.
Some people may remember when the city had parking meters. The room where these meters were repaired is in the basement of the Police Department.  There used to be a darkroom for photo developing, along with lockers and a squad room in what is now the records/evidence section of the station, which is also in the basement.  Multiple locked rooms contain some of the various 30,000 pieces of evidence and property that this station has to retain.
There is a picture below of what is known as the “short stairs”.  Those stairs led to the “mechanical” area of the basement.  In the picture, you will see the old IT room, with the records area directly behind it.  At the end of the hallway is more locked evidence/property.  Down a dimly lit corridor to the right and left, you will find the old boiler room.  Architecturally, it is one of the most interesting parts of the station, but the presence of mold, mildew, and a hundred-plus years of dust makes this a largely inaccessible area where the PD stores things that aren’t needed that often.
A records storage room, where papers are kept that they simply aren’t allowed to dispose of, consists of FBI fingerprint cards, payroll sheets from the 1970’s, and copies of reports from before the station used computers.  Sometimes, the agency or individual may want an arrest report from 1965.  It is probably stored in the basement, and it is the Record Clerk’s job to find it.
Scroll through the pictures below to see what is described above.

Fire Department building

In 1922, the building that now houses the Police Department used to contain the Police Department, Fire Department, and City Hall.  In 1979, renovations were made to design a Fire Station that extended onto the rear of the Police Department.  In the fall of 2025, there was a picture taken of our entire Fire Department.  If you go inside the front door, you will find a display of antique firefighting and paramedic equipment.  There is also an office area for the Lieutenants and Captains to do their reports, take calls, etc.
On the 2nd floor of the building, you will find sleeping quarters for our firefighters and paramedics.  With 6 beds in the bunk room and 1 more being installed, sleeping quarters are tight.  Most people don’t realize that when these folks are on duty for 24 hours, firefighters and paramedics must live at the station.  They have to be available when a call of any sort comes in.  When fully staffed, with the minimum number of personnel (which is currently 7, but soon to be 8), each of these beds are in use.  Each bed is used for 3 firefighters/paramedics at different times during the week.  You will also find the Administrative Assistant and Fire Prevention Officer share an area between the bunk room and the Fire Chief’s office.  The Fire Chief utilizes his office during the day, when he is not tied up in meetings.  The Fire Chief’s desk also has another area that he utilizes as a work area.  The captain of the shift on duty sleeps on what is called a Murphy Bed.  A Murphy Bed looks like a cabinet but actually folds out into a bed.  It is located there in the Fire Chief’s office.  Many days when the Chief arrives early to work, he has to be quiet so as not to wake the Captain, who could be sleeping there, given that the other 6 beds were occupied.  The Fire Department has truly outgrown its building, and there are no means for expansion.
The kitchen area on the first floor of the station has 3 refrigerators.  Each refrigerator is assigned to either the A-Shift, B-Shift, or C-Shift.  When on duty, the firefighters and paramedics live, eat, and sleep at the station for the duration of their 24-hour shift.  They bring, or purchase, their own food and are able to prepare meals in the very small kitchen.  They currently have up to 11 people eating at the same time with a table that only seats up to 8 people.  The kitchen table can get a little crowded.
In the apparatus bay, it not only houses a workout area/gym, but also houses extra equipment, fire trucks/ambulances, a washer and dryer, fire hoses, connectors, and lifesaving equipment.  There is also a mechanical room for tools because, unlike many city agencies, firefighters need to be able to work on and service their own equipment.  Other things that need to be stored are salt, generators, hundreds of yards of hoses and connections, as well as any life-saving equipment not normally carried in the already loaded apparatus bay.
Many people may look at a workout area/gym as a luxury, but the need for strength training becomes clear when you consider the types of calls firefighters and paramedics are likely to be called on.  A call may consist of an unconscious person in a second-floor bedroom, for example, who may need to be carried down stairs during a fire.  Even when paramedics have time to use a stretcher, physical strength is essential for patient transport.  For paramedics in the City of Ravenna, working out and lifting weights isn’t just something you do if you have time; it’s a vital part of their job.  There is a ladder truck, a pumper truck, 3 ambulances, and a pickup truck.  There are multiple vehicles stored off-site, along with 2 vehicles that are stored in the parking lot to the side of the PD and behind the FD, due to the lack of space.  Firefighters do their laundry, exercise, and train right next to diesel exhaust pipes, which contaminates their clothing, uniforms/gear, and miscellaneous supplies.
Scroll through the pictures below to see what is described above.

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