Fire departments across the state of Wisconsin and the country are having to respond to an increased number of calls while many are dealing with staffing shortages.
The five-year stretch between 2016 and 2020 saw a call volume increase of just over 12% for the West Bend Fire Department. In 2021, department members say units from the three stations in the city responded to roughly 4,800 calls.
"We're everything to everybody. We're everything from picking up somebody who fell on the ice to major structure fires and everything in between, from hazmat to dive rescue," explained Chief Gerald Kudek. "It just seems that the more people that need us, the more we're willing to do; but we need those resources to do it."
The resources needed include additional firefighters to help cover shifts and funding to pay for those positions. According to Chief Kudek, both are in short supply.