Bayfield County Sheriff’s Committee recommends accepting $2.20M WISCOM grant after Iron River evacuation review

The Bayfield County Sheriff’s Committee voted May 18 to recommend the full County Board accept a $2,195,900 WISCOM grant, with roughly $320,000 to be spent in 2026 and the remainder to be expensed in 2027. Emergency Management Director Meagan Quaderer told the committee the award carries a 20% grant match; because only one application per county was allowed, participating fire and EMS agencies applied through the county and the county is responsible only for the 20% match on its portion of the award.

Quaderer opened the emergency management portion of the meeting with an update on a May 6 natural gas leak in Iron River. She said she is preparing an after-action report and that operations “went well,” with downtown Iron River evacuated to the fairgrounds and a nearby school placed under a shelter-in-place order. Quaderer said some motorists failed to follow reroute directions and that WDIO provided on-site media coverage. Chair Marty Milanowski asked about phone notifications; Quaderer said the state issued an evacuation notice that targeted the entire Iron River township rather than the town proper.

Supervisors pressed for details about how the incident was managed. Supervisor Jeff Holte said many residents could smell the leak and most reacted positively to directions, though some questioned evacuating the school. Supervisor Larry Fickbohm told the committee he had spoken with a state trooper who disagreed with Incident Command over road blockades; the committee was told any complaints must go through the state patrol chain of command. Quaderer said Incident Command handled messaging to the evacuation site and coordinated with local media.

Quaderer also updated the committee on the EMS project and procurement process. She said she presented an EMS project update to the executive committee on May 14 and that board members and stakeholders have not reached consensus on an operating model or a preferred provider; the committee intends to issue a request for proposals. Quaderer and EMS Coordinator Bryan Ziemann plan to present to the June Sheriff Committee and the succeeding County Board meeting to ensure the full board is informed.

The committee discussed several 2027 capital and maintenance items raised by Quaderer: Bayfield Tower lacks a perimeter fence, which was described as a safety hazard and the committee supported pursuing construction of a fence; Quaderer recommended hiring Cummins Diesel to perform generator maintenance at the tower site; and she urged improved wayfinding signage on the Washburn campus to reduce visitor confusion. Pocernich asked why emergency management expenses were roughly $122,000 more than year-to-date revenue; Quaderer explained that many expenses are annual contracts paid in the first quarter while revenue is recognized throughout the year and noted timing differences related to PSAP reimbursements.

On the WISCOM grant, Supervisor Larry Fickbohm moved to recommend that the full County Board accept the award and allocate about $320,000 in 2026 with the balance in 2027; Jackie Roguski seconded the motion and it carried. Quaderer said immediate purchases would include portable communications units for the highway department.

The committee’s recommendation will be transmitted to the full Bayfield County Board for final action. Quaderer and Bryan Ziemann are scheduled to present additional EMS procurement details at upcoming June meetings.