BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Burnsville city employees and contractors were busy setting up barricades Tuesday afternoon to prepare for road closures in the community Wednesday.
The city is preparing to host thousands of visitors during the memorial service for Burnsville police officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand, and Burnsville firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth.
The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District is also warning parents that school will be canceled on Wednesday, along with after school sports and activities, due to the traffic and road closures.
This is the message school district officials sent to parents this week:
Due to planned road closures and expected impacts to transportation throughout the area, there will be no school on Wednesday, Feb. 28 for all students in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191, including Virtual Academy. In addition, all District 191 programs and facilities will be closed to the public, and after-school athletics and activities are canceled.
A memorial service for Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth is scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 28, at Grace Church in Eden Prairie. After the ceremony, officials are planning a procession from the service back to Burnsville, which will result in several streets being closed and many visitors to the community who want to honor the fallen emergency responders.
This is an unprecedented situation and the district understands this is a disruption for many families. We appreciate your understanding and partnership.
Leaders and volunteers at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church are also preparing to host hundreds of community members Wednesday morning.
Prince of Peace will offer a livestreaming event for community members who can't get in to see the memorial service in person in Eden Prairie.
“We are so honored the city asked us to host this event,” Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Communications Director Nina Sveinson says.
"We just want to reach those people who don't want to be alone during this time."
The church has enough chairs to host more than 1,800 people.
Law enforcement leaders are also preparing for a busy day in the city.
Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko says his office took over policing duties in Burnsville about a week ago.
Nearly two dozen other departments are also covering calls for service, with several additional officers on duty during the memorial service.
"They're back-filling the backfill so those of us from Dakota County can go and attend the service,” Sheriff Leko says.
Sheriff Leko says more than 100 of his deputies and support staff are attending the service Wednesday, along with thousands of deputies and officers from across the state — all coming to Burnsville to show their support.
"That's the reason people get into this job is they want to help people, help the public, protect the public and now in this case we are helping our own and protecting our own. So, it's natural for us to want to help,” Sheriff Leko says.
A city spokesman says the Burnsville Police Department will resume policing duties in the city on Friday, but in case officers need more time, Sheriff Leko says he has deputies ready to cover calls through the weekend.
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