Pending a final vote, the Mequon and Thiensville fire and EMS departments will merge as soon as July. The decision came Monday, May 2 after some emotional public comments.
Some Thiensville homeowners said they're worried the merger would mean the loss of the fire station and actually worsen response times, but ultimately, the board listened to its fire chief who, just weeks from retirement, wanted the department to be stable before he's gone. Based on his 33 years of experience, Thiensville Fire Chief Brian Reiels said there is no question that merging fire and EMS services with Mequon under a new, full-time department is the best solution for a problem that isn't going away.