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
