Dodge County and local fire departments may be closer to an agreement about purchasing water safety equipment over the next few years. Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel and Clyman Fire Chief Eric Howlett attended the Dodge County Board of Supervisor’s Executive Committee meeting Monday to broach a proposal about the county contributing to the expense of water rescues in the area. Beaver Dam Fire Department wants to purchase water and ice rescue equipment and has asked towns that are part of the Beaver Dam Fire Association to share some of the water rescue costs. Town of Beaver Dam officials have objected, and say the sheriff’s office should step up and take responsibility for water rescues. In trying to work out a solution Dodge County Chairman Russ Kottke, Dodge County Administrator Jim Mielke and County Board Supervisor David Frohling met with Howlett and Mannel in June. There was no agreement during the meeting and it would be up to the Dodge County Board of Supervisors to approve any agreement, Mannel said. “We discussed what we, the fire departments, needed and what they thought the county might support,” Mannel said. “At the end of the day, we thought it was reasonable to start with the $100,000 for three years.” The soonest it could be added to the county’s budget is 2018, Mielke said.