A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum shows greater cooperation among fire departments in small communities could help address a shortage of first responders in the state.
The report looks at fire and emergency medical services in the La Crosse area. Commissioned by La Crosse County and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee, it looks at opportunities for the departments to share resources given the growing need for services in many of the communities.
Rob Henken, president of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said the municipalities have all taken a different approach to how they staff their departments, from a 24/7 professional fire service in the City of La Crosse to departments that rely on paid on-call staff in the Town of Shelby. "You sort of have different needs, which dictates different staffing levels and service expectations by citizens. And so sometimes that can be a barrier to looking at ways that communities can share services," Henken said.