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Fire department reports rising calls, finishes capital project and steps up school recruitment
Summary
A fire department representative reported a steady rise in calls compared with earlier years, completion of one of two capital projects for 2026, and plans to recruit students through a high school job day and the Moraine Park cadet program; audit benchmarks and provider performance were also discussed.
A fire department representative reported a steady increase in emergency calls over recent years, completion of one of two planned capital projects for 2026 and a push to recruit students through a high school job day and the Moraine Park cadet program.
The speaker, identified in the transcript only as Speaker 1, told meeting attendees that the department's annual report showed an upward trend in call volume. "If you go back to, like, 2019, we had a 114 calls," the speaker said, and noted earlier years were lower, with about the mid-50s in 2013. "So far for this year, 2026, we have 20 calls for the year," Speaker 1 added.
The speaker said the department had finished one of two capital projects slated for 2026 and described recent outreach: "Our goal is to try to get a couple students signed up to participate in the Moraine Park cadet program this spring," Speaker 1 said, and noted they and the chief from Iron Ridge plan to attend a high school job day in April to recruit new members.
On staffing, Speaker 1 said the department currently has about 21 members after a recent retirement and described a "normal roster is 30." The speaker said auditors recommended a staffing-availability benchmark in the 12–14 range during a recent audit; Speaker 2 complimented the department on the audit work.
Speaker 2 also discussed call-volume drivers and department receipts, saying call volume is a significant part of what the department receives and referencing collections and facility revenue. Speaker 2 said the department had switched dispatch providers after declining performance and noted "there was an error in the paper," committing to be open about the matter.
The transcript records a brief remark by Speaker 1 about following state standards: the speaker said the department would "do the follow ups and keep up to standards with the state for statutes regarding spectrum." The transcript does not identify which statute or what is meant by "spectrum," and the department did not specify the statute in this meeting.
There were no formal motions or votes recorded in the transcript. The meeting closed with brief thank-yous and a final check for interest in recruitment among attendees. The department plans further outreach this spring and will report back as recruitment and project work progress.
