Dakota County - SMART Center

The 35,000-sf facility is the new home for crisis response and de-escalation training that is required of law enforcement officers and first responders. The Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team, a statewide leader in the specialized training, has conducted on-site instruction across the state but will have dedicated facilities at the SMART Center. The space includes a large classroom and four training rooms that can be staged to simulate specific scenarios, such as an apartment or hotel room. Crisis response training gives first responders “soft skills” to improve their interaction with people experiencing a mental health crisis.