Fire departments face challenges statewide

WISCONSIN (CIVIC MEDIA) – The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health has produced a statewide report revealing that fire departments across Wisconsin, especially in rural areas, are facing serious challenges that threaten their ability to respond to emergencies reliably, safely, and efficiently.

The Reliability of Wisconsin’s Fire Service report, based on contributions from 418 Fire Chiefs, representing 52% of departments statewide, highlights a growing crisis in staffing, funding, and training that could impact public safety if not addressed. Key findings show 85% of rural Fire Departments operate entirely with volunteers. Over 80% of firefighters receive little or no monetary compensation. 62% of departments are worried they will be unable to adequately staff their first due apparatuses in the next year. 49% reported responding to building alarm calls with fewer than the required four firefighters in the past year. And, 34% lack sufficient funding to pay their projected expenses.

Fire Chiefs interviewed recommend regionalizing or consolidating Fire Departments to merge staff, budgets, and resources. Offer tax incentives to support firefighter recruitment and retention. Expand access to training, especially in rural areas. And allow more flexible funding mechanisms for local governments.

The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health says correcting these deficiencies is going to require elected leaders to prioritize significant investment into community fire departments. It is also likely that many communities will need to regionalize services to share costs. There is a demonstrated need for investment in the workforce through additional funding for wages and training.

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