The Muskego Common Council voted to accept a proposal from Innovative Public Advisors to perform a fire and emergency medical services study for the city.

The council approved the resolution after a presentation by Jessica (Jess) Wilds and Paul Stevens of Innovative Public Advisors, who described a four-month process that will combine stakeholder interviews, dispatch and response-time data analysis, and a financial feasibility review to evaluate options ranging from enhanced volunteer incentives to shared or consolidated service models. "We will dive into the data, interview staff and stakeholders, and deliver actionable recommendations and implementation plans," Wilds told the council.

Why it matters: Muskego operates with a predominantly volunteer fire department and council members raised concerns about long-term staffing, training burdens and sustainable service delivery. The study is intended to provide council and staff with evidence-based options, including potential collaboration with neighboring departments, different staffing mixes (full time, paid‑on‑call, combination) and grant or revenue opportunities.

Paul Stevens, a retired fire chief who will help lead the analysis, told the council the firm has worked on similar studies and will include hospital/medical-control and dispatch interviews as part of the review. Council members asked whether the firm would honor the proposed price; Wilds said the proposal is a flat fee and "it will not exceed that cost," with a required 50% deposit and the remainder due on completion.

The council took a recorded roll-call vote and approved the resolution. The consultants said they can begin when the city and consultant finalize a professional-services agreement and submit the initial deposit; the study timeline on the proposal estimates roughly four months from start to finish.