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From the pages of Journal-Sentinelonline.com:
The Public Policy Forum released a report highlighting how the merger of seven municipal fire and rescue units on Wisconsin's North Shore two decades ago has significantly cut costs while enhancing service quality. According to the report titled "Come Together: An Analysis of Fire Department Consolidation in Milwaukee County’s North Shore," these seven municipalities would have collectively incurred an additional $2.8 million in yearly operational expenses in 2014 to maintain the same level of service without consolidating their departments.
This success story has inspired Public Policy Forum President Rob Henken to encourage other regions within southeastern Wisconsin to consider merging various services, including fire and rescue, policing, healthcare, and even school districts, as a way to reduce taxpayer spending. Henken pointed out that with 146 municipalities and 92 school districts spread across the seven-county area, there’s ample room for such consolidations.
Despite initial hesitations, the North Shore fire department’s achievements are largely attributed to the courage of public officials who were willing to step out of their comfort zones. Fire Chief Robert Whitaker, who has been part of the department since its inception in 1995 and became chief in 2010, noted that this success required leaders ready to compromise on certain levels of local autonomy. He acknowledged the challenges, such as losing the distinct municipal branding on fire trucks and uniforms. However, he emphasized that during emergencies, residents care more about the help they receive rather than the origin of the responders.
Looking back, Whitaker remarked on the significant progress made. "We're now delivering a superior service at a fraction of the cost we used to," he stated. Recently, the department earned accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, placing them among the elite 218 fire and rescue organizations in the U.S.
Compared to the original seven independent departments, the current North Shore department operates with fewer resources but provides enhanced training and faster response times. For instance, the number of firefighters has decreased from 31 to 21, and the number of fire stations has dropped from seven to five. The fleet has also been reduced from 31 to 15 vehicles. These changes translated into substantial savings. In 2014, the annual operational savings per municipality ranged from $14,279 for River Hills to over $1 million for Shorewood. Other participating towns saw savings of $258,483 for Bayside, $624,717 for Brown Deer, $294,720 for Fox Point, $106,867 for Glendale, and $410,110 for Whitefish Bay.
Moreover, the consolidated department managed to spend less on vehicle replacements over 20 years than what the previous seven departments would have spent in just one replacement cycle, saving an estimated $3.4 million. Meanwhile, neighboring municipalities like Richfield contract out their law enforcement needs to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, and West Milwaukee outsources its fire and EMS services to Milwaukee.
In 2012, the Public Policy Forum urged five southern Milwaukee County communities—Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, and Oak Creek—to merge their fire departments. Unfortunately, this initiative has yet to materialize. If they were to consolidate, these areas could save up to $1 million annually in operational costs and approximately $4 million over five years in vehicle replacement expenses.
These findings underscore the potential benefits of strategic service integration, not only in terms of financial efficiency but also in fostering greater collaboration among local governments.