After much talk, the Beaver Dam Fire Department is now officially moving forward with a study that will look at staffing needs and a possible second fire station on the north side.
The city’s police and fire commission approved spending $9,500 to have a firm conduct the study, linking up with a study underway for Dodge County to look at its needs in an era of growing concern about the future of emergency services in the area. The city’s portion is expected to be done by February.
Fire officials in Beaver Dam have expressed a need for the second station and more staff, saying continued development and a growing number of calls are burying the current roster of firefighters. Calls are increasing for a variety of reasons, whether an aging population or denser housing. “It’s reaching near-crisis level,” said Fire Chief Alan Mannel. “I’m afraid we’ll start losing people because of it.”