Three departments join simulcast

The Fredonia and Waubeka fire departments have joined the Belgium Fire Department in a simulcast call system that will better pool resources in the event of a fire. 

Fredonia Fire Chief Brian Weyker told trustees during a Nov. 4 Village Board meeting that Belgium had joined the simulcast system Fredonia and Waubeka have used for decades. 

The system will now send alerts to all three departments in the event of a fire. 

“If there’s a known structure fire, all three of us are going to get a page at the same time to start pulling trucks,” Weyker said. 

The chief said the system will allow the nearest department to respond to a fire immediately, creating quicker response times. It will also allow the departments to pool resources on a scene for better outcomes when combating a blaze. 

“It’s a quicker response time and a better way to get more resources (on a scene),” Weyker said. 

Weyker said adding the Belgium Fire Department to the simulcast system came at no cost to the village. All that was needed was a letter to the Ozaukee Sheriff’s Office notifying dispatchers of the change. 

The simulcast expansion is part of a larger effort to form a partnership between the Fredonia, Waubeka and Belgium fire departments to maintain quality services. 

With the county experiencing longer response times because of volunteer firefighter shortages, Ozaukee fire departments are looking for ways to improve services and retain staff. 

A county-wide survey of fire services in Ozaukee County completed by the Wisconsin Policy Survey listed several proposals for improving services including consolidating services into a county-wide department or creating regional departments. 

While the Fredonia Fire Department has signaled it is not interested in merging departments into a county-wide or regional department, officials have expressed interests in creating firm regional partnerships with Belgium and Waubeka. 

In addition to the simulcast system expansion, Weyker said, the three departments are also considering operating under the same medical license so different crews could transport to the same hospital, and holding more cross-department trainings.