A long-term shortage of emergency medical service, and eventually firefighter, volunteers will severely impact Dodge County municipalities both large and small in coming years, according to county officials.
And while mutual aid can help minimize the impacts of that shortage, fire and EMS organizations have been preparing for the future. Dodge County Emergency Government is the most likely organization to take the lead in that planning, according to its director Amy Nehls.
Nehls said Dodge County has 23 services that provide emergency medical services. Some have emergency medical – or first — responders, without ambulance or transport. Those areas contract with communities that have emergency medical service and ambulances. Two fire-based services (in Watertown and Beaver Dam) have trained paramedics, which is the highest level of service. There also are private ambulance services which provide paramedic service.