Northfield fire chief flags staffing pressure as ISO audit proceeds; siren testing set for spring through fall

Fire Chief Jason Buss told Northfield council on March 22 that the department is undergoing a five-year ISO audit and that maintaining its current ISO-2 rating will be difficult without increased staffing.

Chief Buss, who arrived at the meeting at 7:36 p.m. after responding to a call, said the department recently participated in a statewide tornado drill and that the Village storm siren will be tested on the first Wednesday of each month from March through November (tests are not performed in winter to avoid equipment damage from freezing conditions). He said Veritec conducts the ISO audit by reviewing 18 months of data and provides a six-month window for improvements.

Buss said the department “fares extremely well on all of the other evaluation factors” but that current off-duty response levels make it difficult to sustain a 2 rating unless the department reaches four-person staffing 24 hours per day for four days per week. Mayor Jenn Domzalski said she and the chief have discussed staffing scenarios and will present a recommendation to council at a future meeting.

The minutes do not include specific staffing proposals or funding sources for additional hires, nor do they record a council vote on staffing during this meeting. The discussion was recorded as a report from the Fire Department with direction to return with a formal recommendation if and when one is prepared.