Gov. Walz Recommends Investment for New State Emergency Operations Center

When disaster strikes, Minnesotans depend on the state and its resources to effectively and efficiently respond and recover. That’s why Gov. Tim Walz is recommending $29.545 million as part of his bonding package to acquire land, design, develop, construct, and equip a new State Emergency Operations Center and Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) office.

Over the past two years, HSEM and its public safety partners have responded to 18 state disaster declarations and 6 federal disaster declarations across Minnesota. Having an adequate facility to coordinate this response and recovery work is essential to ensuring the safety of all Minnesotans in an emergency.

Visit the governor's Build One MN page to learn more about the bonding packages and the proposal for the new State Emergency Operations Center.

A Shovel is Not Enough: Winter Survival on Minnesota's Roads

If the February 2019 snowstorm taught us anything, it was to be prepared for winter driving.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Barker of the Minnesota Army National Guard relates his experiences rescuing motorists that weekend, and the takeaway is that whenever you drive in the winter, you need to be prepared to survive if you get stuck. There’s still at least a couple of months of winter left, so read Sgt. Barker’s winter storm response stories and learn tips for winter driving safety in our blog.

​Time for a Career Change? Consider the State Patrol.

"I need to get out of here."

If you’ve said that to yourself while looking around your workplace, it may be time for a change.

You could be patrolling our state roads and keeping Minnesotans safe. If that sounds good, consider applying for the Minnesota State Patrol’s Law Enforcement Training Opportunity (LETO) Program. The state patrol is seeking college educated women and men. No law enforcement experience required.

Ready to apply? Applications are being accepted through Feb. 14.