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Wausau fire chief outlines cuts and warns SAFER grant expiration could force longer-term choices
Summary
Fire department outlined one-time and ongoing reductions for 2026 and said nine SAFER-funded firefighter positions end Feb. 2026; city staff and the chief flagged possible future referendum or grant-extension options for 2027 funding.
The fire chief reported to the finance committee that the fire department proposed several reductions for 2026 intended to meet the committee’s savings targets while maintaining minimum operational capacity. Among the measures: holding one division chief position vacant through 2026, reducing lawn-mowing and other maintenance line items, cutting training and inspection budgets, deferring one ambulance purchase, and delaying some equipment replacement cycles.
The department also reported a revenue strategy tied to…
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