County emergency management discusses grant, volunteer staffing and delayed Elk Mound response

Dunn County’s emergency management director told the Judicial and Law Committee the county submitted a rapid-turnaround grant application seeking equipment to improve the county’s legacy radio systems and support local volunteer fire and EMS agencies.

Director Gillenbach said the application would help maintain the county’s current WISCOM-based radio infrastructure and “enhance that a little bit.” She said the work grew out of earlier reports and a request from the town of Elk Mound; the town hired a consultant to study options for addressing personnel and response gaps and expects to present findings this summer.

The discussion followed a recent carbon-monoxide call in the village of Elk Mound where the volunteer department was unavailable and the county used its repage policy — wait four minutes, repage, wait two minutes — to move the call to the next available agency. Menominee Fire responded, and Gillenbach said there had been “some frustration about what took you so long to get to the call.” She said she planned a meeting with the two departments involved to review the event.

Gillenbach described the initiative as a multi-step project: the grant would primarily fund equipment to sustain the radio system; the consultant will study personnel availability and organizational options, including a possible countywide fire/EMS structure or other ways to support volunteer departments. She said the earliest the consultant might request county decisions would be July or August after studies are complete.

Town chairman Tony Kristofferson of Elk Mound has been described as “boots on the ground” for the effort; Gillenbach said Kristofferson and his consultant are compiling statistics and options and that the county will await a formal ask before making policy decisions. Gillenbach cautioned the committee that any change would be long-term and not a six-month fix.

Committee members noted financial pressures on small volunteer departments. Gillenbach said the Elk Mound chief’s email indicated the department had limited personnel — she quoted: “I think he has a department of 20 or under. And Monday through Friday, 8 to 4, he has 2 people available to go on fire calls, and that's really not enough.” Gillenbach also relayed the town chairman’s concern about budget limits and cost recovery by charging back townships; she said those financial pressures have driven the conversation about structure and sustainability.

No formal action was taken; the committee was informed of the grant submission and advised staff will report back as the consultant completes its work and if a formal request is presented to the committee.