Shared firefighting, EMS service gets new look

An in-depth study to look at the potential for consolidating or sharing municipal fire and ambulance services throughout Ozaukee County was to be discussed by the Port Washington Common Council Wednesday, April 8.

The proposal comes at a pivotal time for the city, which is considering building a new $5 million fire station on its west side and then renovating its existing firehouse in downtown.

A subcommittee that interviewed consultants to design the fire station was to present its recommendations to the Common Council Wednesday.

Jim Biever, who headed a fire station taskforce and is a member of the subcommittee, said the group has selected three firms for the council to interview — Five Bugles Design, Kueny Architects and SEH.

But, he added, the subcommittee is recommending that the city hire Five Bugles Design.

“They really stood out as being the top choice,” Biever said. “At any given time, they have a dozen or so stations under construction — that’s what they do.”

But as the city has begun looking at the possibility of constructing a new fire station, some aldermen have indicated they want to look into the future.

That future, they said, could include shared services among county emergency departments.

The proposal that was to be considered Wednesday is from Wisconsin Policy Forum, which said the study would look at the potential for shared services or consolidation.

The $22,000 cost would be split among participating communities, Port City Administrator Mark Grams said.

Grams said the proposal has its roots in a discussion spearheaded by the cities of Mequon and Cedarburg and the villages of Grafton and Thiensville several years ago.

The communities later invited the City of Port and Village of Saukville to participate, Grams said.

The initial discussions were between the municipal administrators, he said, but about six months ago the mayors and village presidents were brought in to the talks.

“They were all very interested in it,” he said. 

The talks began, Grams said, “mainly because everybody was having trouble getting paramedics and EMTs.”

It evolved into a discussion of the potential to share not only personnel but also the pricey equipment needed by these departments.

The proposal by Wisconsin Policy forum notes that shared or consolidated fire and emergency medical services have become commonplace in recent years, citing in part Milwaukee County’s North Shore department, which it says has reduced administrative overhead and improved response times since it was formed in 1995.

“Many communities are facing difficult decisions regarding their ability to maintain existing service levels,” the proposal states, adding, “Those that rely on part-time firefighters also face growing problems with recruitment and retention.”

Consolidation or sharing services may address both issues, according to the proposal, which notes that it may offer municipalities the opportunity to hire full-time fire and emergency medical personnel they might not otherwise be able to afford. And, by spreading the cost over a larger area, these services may not have the same impact on taxes. 

The study would include the creation of a work group consisting of fire chiefs and 

administrators from participating municipalities to collect and examine data, define options and analyze the impact. It would take four to six months to complete, the proposal states.

Grams said that participating municipalities — envisioned to be Port, Saukville, Grafton, the city and town of Cedarburg, Thiensville and Mequon — were initially expected to vote on participation in the study in April.

But because of the impact of the coronavirus on municipal operations, he said, the municipalities are likely to vote on the study in May.

Grams said the study may be what some aldermen in Port have been looking for when considering the fire station proposal.

Because of the proposed study, Grams said, he will suggest the council delay action on hiring a consultant to design a Port firehouse.

“I think you need to wait before you make a final decision on drawing up plans because you don’t know what will be recommended,” he said. “If the report comes back saying it’s a good idea the communities work together, that will have an impact on what you do here.”

Biever, who noted that the study proposal had not come before the Police and Fire Commission, said the council may delay action not just to conduct the study but also because of the pandemic.

“I don’t think any big decisions are being made anywhere in the world right now,” he said. “I just hope it doesn’t end up back on the shelf for seven years again.”

However, he added, having a new fire station may be an advantage to the city if the study were to recommend consolidating or sharing services.

“Even if you were to combine, I think having a new modern facility would be great,” he said, noting it could serve as a headquarters for an area-wide combined or shared service.