Saukville wants study on ways to consolidate fire, EMS services

The Saukville Village Board on Tuesday night voted to join other communities to explore forming a regional fire and emergency medical service.

Saukville is one of seven area communities that have agreed to contract with the Wisconsin Policy Forum to study the feasibility of creating the service.

The other communities are the cities of Cedarburg, Mequon and Port Washington, the Town of Cedarburg and the villages of Grafton and Thiensville. 

The Port Washington City Council also approved participating in the study Tuesday night.

Saukville Administrator Dawn Wagner said it’s possible additional communities may join the effort.

Because it has become increasingly difficult to recruit firefighters and the cost of vehicles and equipment continues to rise, local municipal officials and fire chiefs have met periodically in the last several years to discuss whether consolidating fire and EMS service makes sense.

“Support has been overwhelmingly positive, to the point where the administrative working group and the Policy Forum are ready to embark upon a Phase I feasibility analysis starting later this month (June),” Wagner said in a report to the village officials.

Saukville Fire Chief Thad Trinko, who joined the department in December, said manning the department is a difficult task.

“Daytimes, especially, are very difficult,” Trinko said.

According to a memorandum of understanding, the study would collect data from each of the participating departments, including operating and capital budgets, service call histories, staffing levels and employee policies.

The forum will use the data to present service sharing or consolidation options, their potential fiscal and governance  impacts and possible next steps.

The study is expected to begin later this month, take about six months to complete and be presented to the communities by the end of the year.

“Coming out of this, hopefully, we’ll have a game plan,” Wagner told trustees.

The cost of the study would be $22,000, with each of the seven communities contributing $3,143.

“My question is, why wouldn’t we do it?” Trustee Richard Belling said.

“Our share of the cost, the way it’s spread out, is not excessive. A study like this will do a lot to help all the communities know how to proceed.”