Marathon County EMS/fire study advances

The Marathon County Public Safety Committee last week Wednesday voted to have administrator Lance Leonhard put a countywide fire and EMS study on his work plan, but as a low priority item.

The administrator himself said that Phil Rentmeester, Emergency Government director, could possibly put together a bid for the study.

In debate, supervisor Jean Maszk, Mosinee, said she had heard complaints from her rural constituents about tardy ambulance response and thought the study was “a really good idea.” She said an aging population in the county will have increased need for ambulance service. “This is important,” she said. “Having Fire Responders is equally important.”

In response, supervisor Brent Jacobson, Mosinee, said that while “it is always good to get information,” he did not feel that pursuing a countywide fire/EMS study should crowd out other items on Leonhard’s already overloaded work plan. “I don’t believe this should be one of his top priorities,” he said.

Jacobson said he questioned whether the county should offer a countywide fire and ambulance service. He said the cost of such a service would be “considerable.” He said it might be simpler to find ways for townships to obtain better fire and ambulance service rather than have a single county service. Jacobson said he didn’t understand whether having a county service would mean local departments would need to disband or whether there would be double coverage in some areas. He said he was skeptical that Waushara County’s system that covers 637 square miles would work in Marathon County. “Marathon County is bigger than Rhode Island,” he said. A advocates of a county EMS point to Waukesha County as a possible model for Marathon County.

Administrator Leonhard said state law authorized counties to offer EMS services. Taxes to fund such a service would not be restricted by the state’s levy limit law.