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Bayfield County emergency management eyes county‑run ambulance after study flags 108 missed EMS calls in 2025
Summary
Emergency Management Director Meagan Quaderer and EMS Coordinator Brian Ziemann reported that Wisconsin will release Emergency Management Planning Grant funds after litigation; Mission Critical Partners’ EMS study recommends a county‑owned ALS ambulance and Ziemann will present detailed proposals by the end of Q1. An Innovation grant could cover up to 25% of start‑up costs if applied for by March 31.
Meagan Quaderer, Bayfield County Emergency Management and PSAP Director, told the Sheriff’s Committee on Jan. 19 that Wisconsin won a federal lawsuit over funding for the Emergency Management Planning Grant (EMPG) and that related funds are expected in late spring or early summer.
Quaderer said she and Sheriff Tony Williams are exploring community grant opportunities to fund Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training for deputies. She also reported that AT&T will install new equipment on the Hillside tower and extend the tower by about 10 feet; existing antenna whips will be shortened.
On PSAP staffing, Quaderer said the primary public safety answering point is fully staffed, with one dispatcher on medical leave and two dispatchers completing training; the PSAP plans to hire additional part‑time staff. She said the PSAP board had requested a 40‑hour work week to reduce scheduled overtime, but dispatchers currently work a pitman rotation of three 12‑hour shifts one week and four the next, and the schedule will remain unchanged. Quaderer said Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) implementation must be delayed because the EMD software conflicts with the county Computer‑Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
Brian Ziemann, Bayfield County EMS Coordinator, said the county recorded 108 missed EMS calls in 2025. He briefed the committee on several options under consideration to improve response: a county‑owned transporting ambulance service; levying 100% of EMS fees to the county rather than to towns; or county‑staffed response vehicles to support area services. Ziemann said Mission Critical Partners’ EMS study is nearly complete and recommends a county‑owned ALS ambulance service. He said an Innovation grant from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue could offset up to 25% of start‑up costs, and that the grant application deadline is March 31; Ziemann said he will provide detailed proposals to the board by the end of the first quarter.
Committee members did not take formal action on EMS structure at the meeting but discussed financing and operational tradeoffs. The hearing record shows no public comment during the allotted public comment period.
