Sartell Public Safety

06/15/2026

06/12/2026

Friendly reminder! 🚧

The Sartell SummerFest Parade is tomorrow morning. Please plan ahead for road closures and alternate routes. We can't wait to celebrate another great SummerFest with our community! 🎉

Heads up, Sartell!

The Sartell SummerFest Parade is happening tomorrow, Saturday, June 13, and temporary road closures will be in place from 8:45 AM to 12:00 PM to ensure a safe and successful event.

Road closures include:
• Riverside Avenue / CR-1 from 7th Street N to the Holiday Gas Station
• 7th Street N from Riverside Avenue N to 9th Avenue N

Please plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and use alternate routes if needed.

Thank you for your patience as we celebrate one of Sartell’s favorite community traditions. We look forward to seeing everyone at the parade!

06/12/2026

Training Notice

The Sartell Fire Division will be conducting training exercises on the river for a few hours this morning. Residents may notice fire personnel and equipment in the area. This is only a training exercise, and there is no emergency.

06/11/2026

🚔☀️ PAL is Back for Summer 2025! ☀️🚔

The Sartell Police Activities League (PAL) will look a little different this year!

Instead of our traditional weekly schedule, PAL will feature three special events throughout the summer, giving youth ages 5-15 opportunities to connect with Sartell Police Officers through fun activities, positive interactions, and community engagement.

📅 June 24 – Color Wars
📍 Val Smith Park
🕡 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

📅 July 15 – Open Gym
📍 Sartell Community Center
🕡 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

📅 August 19 – Movie in the Park
📍 Val Smith Park
🌅 Starts at Dusk (movie and exact start time will be announced closer to the event)

PAL is about more than activities—it's about building safe, lasting relationships between youth and law enforcement. These events provide opportunities for officers and youth to interact in a relaxed environment, helping build trust, strengthen our community, and create positive connections that can last a lifetime.

All activities are free and open to youth ages 5-15.

We hope to see you there!

06/11/2026

We wrapped up another year of our Home Safety classes. A special to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch staff and the Sartell Fire Department for taking time to talk to all the kids about different safety topics! Thank you to all parents for having your kids participate in our program. See you again next year!

06/10/2026

🌟Employee Spotlight: Steve Mathews🌟

Meet Investigator Steve Mathews! Steve has dedicated 23 years to a career in law enforcement, including the last 13 years serving the Sartell community.

Inspired by a family tradition of volunteer firefighting, Steve knew from an early age that he wanted a career in public service. Today, he continues that commitment through his work as an investigator and his involvement in the community.

When he's not at work, Steve enjoys hunting, fishing, cooking, and coaching Sartell Youth Archery. He and his wife, Kadie, have been married for 16 years and have two children, Hazel and Micah. During the winter months, much of the family's time is spent supporting the Sabres Archery Team, while summers are filled with fishing and enjoying the outdoors.

Steve also has a unique hobby—collecting Minnesota law enforcement memorabilia. His collection includes patches, badges, and license plates, with more than 2,000 Minnesota police patches currently on display.

A recent passion of Steve's is his fish replica business, Mathews Fish Replicas. Rather than traditional taxidermy, Steve creates lifelike fish replicas by ordering molds that match the size of the fish and carefully paints them to recreate the fish. While the process is detailed and time-consuming, he finds it both rewarding and relaxing.

If he weren't in law enforcement, Steve says he would likely be working as a chef or in an outdoor-related profession.

When asked what he'd like to say to the community, Steve shared: "It is great to work in a community that is overwhelmingly supportive of our police department. Your words and support are always appreciated!"

Thank you, Steve, for your years of dedicated service to the Sartell community!

06/09/2026

A couple of weeks ago, three personnel from the Sartell Fire Division, along with members from several neighboring departments across Minnesota, successfully completed an intensive 40-hour CMC Rope Rescue Technician I/II course.

This advanced training sharpened our technical rescue skills and enhanced our ability to respond to some of the most challenging and complex rescue scenarios. Through hands-on instruction and realistic training evolutions, participants gained valuable experience that helps ensure we are prepared when our communities need us most.

Just as importantly, these members will bring their knowledge and skills back to our department, helping strengthen our team and expand our capabilities through continued training and mentorship.

Thank you to everyone who dedicated the long hours, hard work, and commitment required to complete this course. Your dedication to professional development and keeping our communities safe is greatly appreciated.

06/01/2026

The badge may say Police, but their hearts say Firefighter. 🚒👮

All jokes aside, this is exactly why Sartell adopted the Department of Public Safety model. Bringing Police and Fire together allows us to learn from one another, build stronger working relationships, and better understand the challenges each discipline faces.

Whether it's a planned training exercise or simply an opportunity to work side-by-side, those experiences strengthen teamwork and coordination. That collaboration translates into more efficient operations, more effective emergency response, and better service for the citizens of Sartell.

05/29/2026

Earlier this spring K9 Echo and Officer Grosz assisted other area law enforcement on a narcotics investigation that resulted in the arrest of a suspect now facing multiple felony charges.

While assisting the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force at the Americana Motel in St. Cloud, K9 Echo and Officer Grosz completed a sniff of a vehicle involved in their investigation. K9 Echo alerted officers to the presence of narcotics during that sniff. Inside, officers located approximately four ounces of fentanyl, methamphetamine, co***ne, and three fi****ms.

The suspect was charged with nine felony offenses, including first-degree controlled substance crime, aggravated robbery, assault, burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

05/27/2026

Employee Spotlight: Jason Doering

Jason Doering has proudly served with the fire department for the past six years and has earned his Fire Apparatus Operator (F.A.O.) certification, demonstrating his commitment to safety, skill, and excellence in emergency response operations.

When asked what he enjoys most about the job, Jason shared that it’s the huge family he inherited through the department and the honor of working beside such talented crews. The camaraderie and teamwork are what make the experience especially meaningful for him.

For Jason, the most rewarding part of serving the community is seeing the direct impact firefighters have on people and their families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Being there for someone on their worst day and knowing you can make a difference is what motivates him most.

Some of Jason’s favorite highlights include connecting with the community during National Night Out and the Fire Department Open House events. He enjoys the opportunity to meet residents, build relationships, and help strengthen community connections.

Outside of work, Jason enjoys tinkering around on vehicles and disappearing into the outdoors for camping and travel adventures. Family is also an important part of his life, and he enjoys spending time with his wife, Leah, and their dog.

Jason shared that he is truly honored to serve the Sartell community and is grateful for the opportunity to give back in such a meaningful way. He thanks the community for their continued support and for allowing him to do the job he loves.