Lake Country fire chief presents plan to address staffing shortage; municipalities to discuss proposal
To address Lake Country Fire and Rescue's ongoing staffing crisis that's elongated response times and repeatedly closed the Delafield fire station, Fire Chief Matthew Fennig has come up with a four-year plan.
Fennig presented the plan, heavily focused on hiring full-time staff, to the Lake Country Fire and Rescue Board at a special meeting Nov. 10.
The board, made up of two representatives from each of the seven municipalities the department serves, voted to move the plan along for each municipality to discuss. The 2023 to 2026 plan could then go to referendum, leaving the decision in voters' hands.
More:Lake Country Fire & Rescue asks municipalities to help address staffing shortages
"We have an issue going on right now and it's getting worse month by month," Jeff Rumler, fire board member representing Oconomowoc, said.
Fennig's plan would add seven new firefighter and medic positions in 2023, six in 2024, six in 2025 and three in 2026. These new positions would cost over $3 million through 2026. A full-time model, rather than the existing paid-on-call model, would improve response times and avoid staff burnout, Fennig said.
Department improvements, such as hiring a full-time emergency vehicle technician and investing in LCFR's young officer cadre, would be placed throughout.
In August, five of seven Waukesha County communities voted against a referendum that called for doubling the Western Lakes Fire District's budget to address its similar staffing crisis. Board members want to make sure LCFR's plan doesn't meet the same fate, with some offering ideas for a smaller approach.
"I would like to ask the voters for a referendum that is more modest and continues to fit some of the things we need maybe one or two years out ― this is what we need in '23 and '24 ― because it's a much more modest number," Steve Michels, board member from Delafield, said.
To save money, the board decided to cut the proposed creation of a full-time human resources professional. However, discussions to address the staffing shortage started in April, and most felt that it was time to move it along to the municipalities.
"I've seen many, many things cut from the original discussions to get it where it would be palatable to municipalities," Rumler said.
To view the entire long-range staffing and operations plan, visit bit.ly/3To9PXi.
Quinn Clark can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Quinn_A_Clark
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lake Country fire chief presents plan to address staffing shortage
