Fire chief outlines staffing, equipment upgrades and community health outreach in annual report

Fire Chief Pulvermacher told the Menomonee Falls Village Board that the fire department has adjusted staffing and resources to match rising call volumes and neighborhood hot spots, and highlighted several equipment and program changes citywide.

"We're staffing a peak ambulance during those time frames just to make sure that we have enough response available," Veronker said, describing changes to cover higher-call periods and the department's use of an intercept unit when full ambulance staffing is not available. He said station placement reflects long-term hot spots and that the department still receives and provides mutual aid to nearby municipalities.

Veronker said the department logged roughly 10,240 training hours last year, conducted live-fire training offsite to rotate crews, and identified unsafe swift-water rescue equipment after a water-rescue incident. "We actually snapped one of the life safety lines," he said, and the department has since purchased purpose-built swift-water gear and planned additional training before the next swift-water season.

The department also described several grant-funded acquisitions now in service or coming online: an ATV-style ambulance obtained through a grant and SCBA replacements funded by grant money. Veronker said some of those assets are used at large public events as well as on trails and confined spaces.

Veronker outlined a mobile integrated health (MIH) program funded primarily by grants that completed about 120 in-home visits in the past year. The goal, he said, is to prevent repeated ambulance calls by addressing nonemergency needs and medication noncompliance. "By getting MIH out there, we were able to stop some of that activity and significantly reduce the number of times we were responding," he said, and added that MIH partners on Narcan distribution and first-aid training.

Trustees questioned operational details. Trustee Matt Hayes asked whether the department overuses the aerial platform. Veronker replied that the aerial is deployed for EMS only when necessary, for technical rescues and incidents requiring reach. "It's not our first choice," he said. He estimated a usable lifespan of about 15–20 years for the aerial, and said staff will monitor reliance on mutual aid from neighboring communities.

Veronker also previewed an inspection-reporting rollout (referred to as iROLL/iRule), saying service providers and businesses will receive formal notification and materials when the system goes live to make inspection records easier to access.

The chief closed by reviewing awards and peer-support programs, noting unit citations, life-saving recognitions, and ongoing peer-fitness and mental-health efforts for firefighters.

The report prompted follow-up questions from trustees but no formal board action; trustees thanked the chief for the overview and invited continued coordination.