Waubeka Fire Department to join consolidation study

Despite indications from the Fredonia Town Board that it would not participate in an Ozaukee County fire-service consolidation study, Waubeka Fire Chief Jason Caswell last week said his department will join the project.

“The Waubeka Fire Department has determined that being involved with the shared services study being conducted for the county fire departments/municipalities is in our best interest,” Caswell said in an email.

Eight other municipalities in Ozaukee County — the cities of Port Washington, Cedarburg and Mequon and villages of Belgium, Fredonia, Saukville, Grafton and Thiensville — have joined in the study, which will be conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The forum will collect data from each area fire department, including operating and capital budgets, service-call histories, staffing levels and employee policies.

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

Consolidation of fire and emergency medical services in Ozaukee County has been discussed informally for several years due to the increasingly difficult task of recruitment and the rising cost of equipment.

“Even though we are a smaller department with a lesser call volume, we still share the same concerns as our busier neighboring departments,” Caswell said. “We want to have a seat at the table and have a voice in the future of fire and EMS service in our communities.”

Caswell said that recruitment has been a “struggle” for his department and even though the Fredonia area is growing, “joining a local volunteer fire department has not been on many to-do lists.”

“The study may show some significant shortfalls or show some major strides, we won’t know until all the information is collected and deciphered,” he added.

“We do know that we want to be involved, good or not, for the future of our community and fire service.”

The $22,000 cost of the study will be shared equally by participating communities.

The Waubeka Fire Department is an independent corporation, unlike most county fire departments, and contracts with the Town of Fredonia to provide fire service.