Local fire departments provide aid to Kenosha

Several area fire departments were on hand last Friday to help the City of Kenosha as it underwent civil unrest caused by the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot by an officer. 

After the second night of demonstrations in the city, Grafton Fire Department Chief William Rice, who is the southeast regional coordinator for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Wisconsin, was contacted by Kenosha officials to send in additional fire and rescue reinforcements. 

“These days, it’s difficult to send resources because there isn’t much time to plan,” Rice said. “Communities have a MABAS plan for up to five alarms of help coming. These types of deployments are above and beyond that because you are traveling through two to three counties to assist a community.”

On Friday evening, MABAS Division 119 Fire Task Force met at a mustering point at the Mequon Fire Department before heading to Kenosha. Engines were sent from Grafton, Waubeka and Cedarburg departments.

A ladder truck from Mequon, a heavy rescue squad from Saukville and an ambulance from Thiensville were also sent, Rice said. 

The task force was led by Grafton Division Chief Matthew Karpinski, who gave the crew a briefing before traveling to the staging area at Kenosha Bradford High School for an eight-hour shift that began at 7 p.m. Cedarburg Fire Department Chief Bill Hintz was the only other chief on hand.

“We were there to back up the City of Kenosha Fire Department if they became overwhelmed with calls. We had a plan to be deployed and how we would be deployed,” Karpinski said, noting the task force was not sent out on any calls that evening.

“Luckily nothing happened. Because of the system that was in place, everything fell into place,” he said.

Karpinski said the staging area at the high school had a perimeter protected by the Army National Guard and he did not witness any demonstrations. 

Rice said 22 members from fire departments in Ozaukee County were sent, and there was enough personnel remaining to cover any calls within the county. 

Rice said the task force has been deployed several times before to Cudahy and Racine.