Excerpts from wpr.org:
Half of Wisconsin’s fire chiefs said they don’t have the financial resources to cover their budgets. And more than 10 percent of the state’s fire departments had at least one instance over the last year where a service call was not responded to, according to a recent survey.
Increasing call volumes, difficulty recruiting, and funding shortfalls were the common themes among fire chiefs who responded to a survey from the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Wisconsin currently has 761 fire departments serving communities of all types across the state. Just 43 of those departments are staffed entirely by paid career firefighters. The rest are staffed by a combination of paid and volunteers, with more than 600 departments manned entirely by volunteers.
Wisconsin’s shared revenue compromise was intended to bring some financial relief to struggling fire departments. How much money municipalities dedicate to fire departments is yet to be determined.
In Milwaukee, the deal included more than $200 million in revenue for the city. It also led to the reopening of a fire station in January after years of cuts. Six fire stations have closed in the city of Milwaukee in recent years due to financial constraints, leading to increased response times for residents.
The deal for Milwaukee also stipulated the fire department maintain an on-duty staff of 218 firefighters by 2033. To help meet that goal, the city’s budget included funding for six new firefighter positions this year, which will bring their daily staffing to 198.
Oshkosh Fire Chief Michael Stanley has been with the department for six years. He was previously with the Aurora, Colorado department, which is part of the South Metro Fire Rescue. The team covers nearly 300 square miles with 30 stations, providing services to 540,000 residences. He believes similar fire districts could work in Wisconsin.
It would take legislation to enable fire leaders to create a voluntary fire district. Doing so would include a dedicated funding source and include a mechanism for accountability.
In 1995, the municipalities north of Milwaukee signed intergovernmental agreements for fire departments and dispatch services. The shared service model is considered a success.
Today, the North Shore Fire/Rescue covers the city of Glendale and the villages of Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, River Hills, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. The seven municipalities have a population of approximately 65,000 and cover 25 square miles.
In June 2024, the North Shore team responded to 817 emergency medical calls and 303 fire and rescue calls.
thanks Rob
#1 by Ed M on August 9, 2024 - 8:25 PM
In Florida, there is/was a heavy shift to County wide departments as opposed to local municipal departments which seems to work pretty well.
#2 by Jim on August 8, 2024 - 6:14 PM
Mike,
I agree with your premise that the fire service needs to advocate better for funding and staffing. However, many areas, like the southwestern suburbs, face a problem of misallocated resources. These suburbs are trying to fund and staff their fire departments individually, rather than considering a regional approach. Division 21 is a prime example, with multiple stations and apparatus concentrated in close proximity, most staffed with only two people.
Instead, resources could be reallocated to provide adequate staffing for fewer apparatus, improving service to the community as a whole. Currently, villages and chiefs often duplicate or triplicate efforts by purchasing unnecessary apparatus and staffing them inadequately. For instance, is it sensible to have one station with a tower ladder and another station just four blocks away with an engine simply because they belong to different villages? It would be more effective to consolidate resources into a single, double-house station, providing a stronger initial response.
#3 by Pat on August 8, 2024 - 4:05 PM
I am not sure he is talking about private departments. I think he is talking about fire protection districts just like we have in Illinois. Just lets say 5 village departments make a district together and being 1 large department. Just on a larger level than lets say Winnetka-Kenilworth FD or Lincolnshire Riverwoods FD. I could of course be wrong but that is how I read that article.
#4 by Localguy on August 8, 2024 - 3:50 PM
Aurora is NOT part of South Metro. Can’t even get your facts right for the article.
#5 by John Antkowski on August 8, 2024 - 12:32 PM
To answer the Chief in Oshkosh, Are you saying buying fire protection? It might work, but does each resident have to personally pay for the protection? I’m wondering about the poor and elderly population. Most of them are on a fixed income from the government. Before I joined the department I was employed in a different city service. I was told that the only reason it wasn’t privatized was the inner city. With most living people living day to day not wanting to pay for it or didn’t have the capital. Illinois is full of those districts and it seems to work. Maybe some day, at a later time.
#6 by crabbymilton on August 8, 2024 - 6:15 AM
Public safety should always be the absolute first priority in a city followed by streets. Funny that there always seems to be plenty of money for government schools. Not much learning taking place for all the money that gets dumped into them.
#7 by Mike on August 7, 2024 - 10:20 PM
The fire service nationally needs to figure out how to better fund and better staff departments. I’m not saying eliminate volunteer departments with this statement. What I’m referring to is more funding for recruitment, equipment, training and operations. In the last 10 years operational budgets have not been able to keep up with rising operational costs, even with state and federal grants. We also need to keep training standards and certification at the national standard level and not because you’re a volunteer allow less standards or training. Civilian fire fatalities are continuing to rise and that’s not acceptable.