Fire chief warns of rising apparatus costs as village's 2026 Northshore contribution would jump

Whitefish Bay officials heard a detailed briefing on Aug. 4 from Chief Whitaker of the Northshore Fire Department, who outlined why the department is asking for a sizeable increase in municipal capital funding to keep up with rising apparatus costs and long vendor lead times.

Whitaker explained the department budgets across four buckets — operating, small capital, debt service and capital-resolution funding for large apparatus — and said municipal revenue makes up about 77% of operating revenue while ambulance billing is the second-largest source. "From our operating side, 77% of the revenue comes from the municipalities," he said, noting that 83% of department expenses are wages and benefits.

The chief described a post-pandemic jump in vehicle prices and multi-year vendor lead times: "The fire engines... went from about $500,000 to a million," he said, and ladder trucks rose from about $950,000 to $1.9 million. He added that wait times for delivery increased from roughly one year to more than three years for some vendors.

Whitefish Bay’s share of the operating contribution was $2.52 million for 2025, Whitaker said; the village’s portion of small capital for 2026 was estimated at $33,244 and debt funding at $154,877. For capital-resolution funding (large apparatus), the chief told the board that Whitefish Bay’s contribution would rise from about $86,000 in 2025 to about $210,000 in 2026 under the five-year cash option the department recommended.

Whitaker also reported a sharp rise in call volume since the pandemic and explained how that shifts resource needs: "We're going to do almost 13,000 calls this year," he said, adding that roughly 75% of calls are medical in nature. He said aging demographics and understaffed group-home settings contribute to the increase, and that many calls result in ambulance transports.

The department presented two broad funding paths: a cash "pay-as-you-go" approach with a five-year commitment (the department’s preferred cash option was priced in the packet at roughly $635,000 across municipalities) or a lease-financing option that would spread costs over longer terms (estimated total higher across 20 years). Whitaker said the cash option produced a smaller total estimated spend over a 20-year rotation, while lease financing had higher estimated totals.

Board members asked multiple operational questions — about whether every station needs an engine, potential savings from additional ambulances, response-time goals, and staffing challenges for 24/7 ambulance coverage. Whitaker said fire personnel are also emergency medical technicians and that fire engines sometimes respond to medical calls when ambulances are unavailable.

No formal vote was required; the presentation was informational and part of ongoing CIP and Northshore budgeting discussions. Staff and the department will continue studying revenue and service options, including possible adjustments to ambulance-fee structures and timing of municipal contributions.