LETTER: Firefighters past and present want voters to say ‘yes’ to EMS

To Ozaukee Press:

The Port Washington Fire/EMS Association is a nonprofit charitable organization solely comprised of current and retired fire department personnel.  With a mission of promoting public safety, the association has donated tens of thousands of dollars to projects supporting both the city’s fire department and overall community well-being. The Fire/EMS Association asks Port Washington residents to support the referendum to add six full-time firefighter/paramedic positions to the department and retain the three current full-time positions funded through a one-time ARPA grant.

  Since 1852, Port Washington has almost exclusively staffed its fire department with volunteer personnel. These dedicated members will continue to be the backbone of the department long into the future. However, in 2024, complete reliance on volunteers is no longer sustainable. 

As residents, taxpayers and neighbors, we recognize this is not a small financial ask. With drastic increases in emergency calls, the ever-expanding educational requirements to maintain licensure and declining civic volunteerism, adding full-time staff is absolutely necessary.   No one wakes up expecting to call 911.  The referendum is an insurance policy, insurance that your local fire department is staffed and ready to respond when something unforeseen happens. A “yes” vote is critical to providing reliable, high-quality fire and emergency medical service to our community for years to come.

For those who don’t believe additional full-time staff is needed, please consider stopping at the fire station to pick up an application to volunteer.

        Joe DeBoer, Adam Lanser,   

Kurt Ellmauer, Tom Sharbuno,

Jacob Hodorff, Rick Kultgen, Chris Miotke

Board of Directors

Port Washington Fire/EMS Association