Weekly Fiscal Facts are provided to Wisconsin Newspaper Association members by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. The Wisconsin Policy Forum logo can be downloaded here.
Fire and emergency medical services responders in Walworth County face challenges with staffing their agencies and funding their capital needs. Meanwhile, some of the county’s smaller departments continue to rely on a volunteer model that has become increasingly difficult to sustain.
Heightened collaboration or consolidation among the 15 departments that currently serve the county might help alleviate these issues and might also improve service quality. Several fire and EMS departments in Walworth County already have taken proactive steps such as collaborating with neighboring departments or adding full-time staff.
A recent Forum analysis is our latest in a series of dozens of reports that look at local fire and EMS service provision, and opportunities for such agencies to collaborate across municipal boundaries. In Walworth County, while each communities’ needs may differ, the common nature of many of the issues confronting fire and EMS agencies may lend themselves to shared solutions. Our research does not endorse any particular course of action, but lays out options for leaders to consider.
Looking at population and demographic trends in Walworth County, we find its agencies should be preparing for steady or modestly higher call volumes. A number of the county’s smaller departments also use a paid on call (POC) or volunteer staffing model which department officials generally acknowledge may become unsustainable over the long term.
Staff recruitment and retention also are challenges for larger departments, though smaller departments that use POC and volunteer personnel typically see greater challenges. Departments compete with other agencies across southeast Wisconsin for paramedics in particular.
Capital needs are another major challenge. Not only are most departments facing steep vehicle replacement costs in the near future, but many may lack the financial capacity to undertake these replacements. Also, some departments are planning station renovations or replacements and are exploring financing options.
In Walworth County, we find that fire and EMS stations are reasonably positioned across the county given its population distribution, with most existing in the southern half of the county. However, it may be superfluous for 15 departments to serve a county with a population of only a little more than 100,000 residents.
The report concludes that the benefits of having fewer departments could be financial — particularly for those with low call volumes and who otherwise would be moving to full or part-time staffing on their own — but could also improve services for most jurisdictions.
A comprehensive consolidation scenario would require much more detailed analysis and take years to implement. Consequently, small-scale collaboration strategies may also be worth considering, and a greater role for Walworth County government in supporting EMS would be an additional option worth exploring.
This information is provided to Wisconsin Newspaper Association members as a service of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. Learn more at wispolicyforum.org.
