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Verona council discusses exploring joint fire and EMS district with neighboring jurisdictions; no binding vote
Summary
Council discussed a staff-directed feasibility study to explore forming a joint fire and EMS district with Fitchburg and Oregon, heard fire-staff concerns about local control and staffing, and did not take a binding vote to commit Verona to forming a district.
Council held a lengthy discussion about whether to collaborate with the Village of Oregon and City of Fitchburg to explore a potential joint fire and EMS district. Staff described the scope of a feasibility study: statutory steps for district formation, operational and staffing integration, financial and capital impacts, and a timeline for decision-making.
Fire staff and rank-and-file personnel expressed concern that a district could reduce local oversight and threaten existing local culture, volunteer and pay-on-call staffing models, and operational flexibility. "A district has a very high likelihood of taking all of that away," said Dustin Rota, a Verona fire lieutenant during public comment, describing instances where interns and paid-on-call staff were critical to local response capacity.
Council members were split. Some members said they want more information and emphasized the value of data and staff input; others were skeptical about potential savings and worried about losing local oversight. Several members asked staff to ensure firefighter input and human-impact data are included in any feasibility work. The council did not adopt the proposed resolution to commit Verona to collaborate; no binding motion was passed, and the item was left for possible future consideration and information-sharing.
Next steps: no formal assignment recorded; council members asked staff to remain apprised of neighboring municipalities' efforts so Verona can obtain the feasibility data if desired.
