Plans are underway to transform Whitewater’s volunteer fire department into an official city department, the city said Thursday.
In a news release, the city said discussions on the plan began at the end of last year. Members of Whitewater Fire Department, Inc. gave their blessing in January to move forward with creating an official relationship with the city. Kristin Mickelson, the city’s communications manager, said currently a memorandum of understanding between the department and the city is in the process of being drafted. No firm dates have been established for when the process could officially begin.
While the fire department is not an official city agency, it responds to fire calls in Whitewater and surrounding townships, and its trucks are based out of a city building on Whitewater Street.