Polson Police, Fire & Municipal Court Study

The engagement

What we did

The Center for Public Safety conducted a comprehensive space needs assessment for the City of Polson, Montana, addressing a complex facility housing police, fire, and municipal court services within a repurposed structure that had previously served as a private residence and commercial space. The methodology examined how co-located services create operational inefficiencies through competing spatial demands and their effect on service delivery. The study gave particular attention to the community’s lakeside and reservation-boundary operating environment, analyzing how a substantial seasonal influx of visitors strains facility capacity and alters minimum manning requirements. That analysis showed how population fluctuation affects facility utilization, equipment storage needs, and the viability of alternative staffing models where facilities cannot accommodate surge capacity. CPS also evaluated the surrounding built environment, where immediately adjacent restaurants and commercial structures precluded horizontal expansion while structural limitations prevented vertical development, requiring careful use of space within the existing footprint.