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Menomonee Falls fire chief cites rise in calls, highlights fall‑risk program and staffing challenges
Summary
Fire Chief Joel Schumacher told the Village Board the department has seen a modest year‑over‑year rise in first‑quarter responses, that falls are its top cause of ambulance calls, and that a roughly $20,000 mobile‑health grant will support fall‑risk assessments to reduce transports.
Fire Chief Joel Schumacher reported to the Village Board on May 4 that the department's first‑quarter call volume is up modestly from last year and that moving to a new reporting platform is giving staff more granular data to target prevention efforts.
"Our number 1 reason for ambulance response is fall injuries," Schumacher said, tying the trend to the village's aging population and describing interventions the department wants to deploy. Schumacher said the department transitioned from the National Fire Incident Reporting System to the Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), which provides more detailed incident and location data.
The chief reported an average combined response time of about 6 minutes 36 seconds, and referred to the National Fire Protection Association benchmark NFPA 1710 (5 minutes, 20 seconds) as an aspirational standard that many nonurban departments do not meet. "It's not something we necessarily want to take our eyes off of," he said, adding that the village will continue to strive for improved response times.
Schumacher described current staffing as having one career vacancy due to a recent resignation, two vacant lieutenant positions expected to be filled by internal promotion, and an active recruitment effort to bring on about six part‑time firefighters. He said the department uses an "intercept vehicle" when it cannot staff a full ambulance to place paramedics on scene quickly while preserving larger apparatus for calls that require more personnel.
The chief also discussed mutual aid: 24 mutual‑aid assignments were given to neighboring municipalities in the quarter and the department received 15 mutual‑aid assignments. He said call clustering remains concentrated near assisted‑living and retirement facilities and in the village's fastest‑growing neighborhoods.
On emergency management, Schumacher said village staff coordinated with public works and the village manager to open the spillway during April flooding, and that the department conducted pre‑incident planning for swift‑water and rescue scenarios. He flagged a future discussion about the role of outdoor warning sirens and noted they are intended for outdoor warning only; residents should rely on weather radios and county alert systems for indoor notification.
Schumacher said the department won a mobile integrated health grant of roughly $20,000 to build a fall‑risk assessment framework that could provide residents with low‑cost prevention items such as grab bars and night‑lights. He also referenced a separate UnitedHealthcare grant and said insurers may be more willing to fund home‑based prevention that reduces emergency transports.
The chief announced the arrival of an engine ordered two years ago and said the department's oldest fire vehicle will be displayed at the Wisconsin Fire and EMS Memorial museum for about a year. He highlighted ongoing training — including live fire and technical rescue work — and noted one member is assigned to Wisconsin Task Force 1.
Trustees asked about the NFPA benchmark's origin and whether the standard is adjusted for community layout. Schumacher said NFPA 1710 was developed based on building fire growth and that station location and community density affect achievable response times.
The chief concluded by inviting trustees to suggest additional reporting detail for future quarterly reports and by noting that the department will continue to monitor mutual aid and staffing trends.
