Referendum for Port EMS is ‘our only option’

Port Washington’s Police and Fire Commission on Monday threw its support behind a $1 million referendum to expand the city’s ambulance and fire services, saying it is essential to ensure residents receive essential medical services when they need them.

“It’s our only option,” Commission Chairman Jim Biever said in an interview Tuesday. “We need the money. There’s no Plan B.”

Commission member Joe Dean called the $1 million a small price to pay for the essential service, noting that if it were spread across the city on a per capita basis it amounts to 21 cents per day.

“Most homeowner’s insurance went up more than 21 cents a day,” he said.

City officials have not yet calculated how much the referendum would increase the city’s tax levy, Ald. Dan Benning, a member of the General Government and Finance Committee, said.

Fire Chief Mark Mitchell told the commission that the firefighter’s association last week threw its support behind the referendum and the council’s decision not to consolidate operations with another area department.

“This is just another step to get the referendum going,” Mitchell said.

The referendum is needed for the city to hire an additional 6-1/2 full-time firefighter/medics beginning in 2025.

That, Assistant Chief Joe DeBoer said, would ensure the city can staff two ambulances around the clock.

“It’s not a bloated administration staff. It’s people in the trucks going to calls,” DeBoer said of the new positions.

“This will get 97% to 98% of our calls covered. This would give us a second ambulance (staffed), for sure, or a fire engine staffed.”

Last year the department could not staff the ambulance for at least six hours on 40% of the days and 54% of weekend days, DeBoer noted.

From February 2022 through August 2023, mutual aid had to be used 276 times to cover ambulance calls, he added.

Dean said that being able to cover these calls will not only improve service to residents but also increase revenue for the department, something that will help offset the added cost of the full-time staff members.

And, he noted, it will help the city maintain the ISO rating used by insurance companies to set rates for businesses.

Biever asked how long the staffing model will cover the city’s needs.

“It depends on our ability to find volunteers,” DeBoer said, noting paid on premise and paid on call volunteers play a vital role in filling in gaps in the schedule. “We’re looking to supplement the staff we have.”

“We’re still going to be a primarily paid on call department, and we need everyone,” Mitchell said.

But, as the city grows, he said, “We will need more full-time people.”

DeBoer said he believes it will be easier to attract and retain part-time EMTs when the department has more full-time people, noting they can serve as mentors and help train the part-time staff members.

If the city builds a new public safety facility, that, too, will help attract and retain staff members, DeBoer said.

Some people will question that idea, he said, adding he was one of them initially.

“But as I talked to chiefs elsewhere, I was convinced,” he said. “It’s huge.”

Commission members asked how likely it is that the current full-time paramedics will stick with the department until the new people are hired.

The fact that the new organizational structure will include some lieutenant positions that they would likely be in line to fill is an incentive, DeBoer and Mitchell agreed.

The referendum is expected to be held in April, and if approved the tax bills issued in December 2024 will reflect the increased levy.

Until then, the city will continue to fund its full-time paramedics with a mix of tax levy and city and Ozaukee County American Rescue Plan Act funds, officials said.

The commission also agreed Monday to send a letter of thanks to the county for the $425,000 in ARPA funds it will provide the city to offset the cost of full-time paramedics for two years.

But, Mitchell said, he’s frustrated that the amount is less than the $600,000 over three years the county originally said it would provide.

“We followed every guideline in that grant program,” he said. “We hired our people on time, and we’re still going to get shortchanged. It’s disappointing because we did exactly what we were told.”

Biever said the fact the city has reduced its response time significantly with the full time paramedics it has now should help convince residents of the importance of fully staffing the department.

“I think we’re proving now with full-time people at the station that it makes a real difference,” he said.