8-3-23 waupun fire department staffing

The Waupun Fire Chief says it may be time to add staff, or explore a different staffing model.   The Waupun Common Council  has approved a study to examine staffing models for fire and emergency response services.  Waupun Fire Chief B.J. DeMaa says the number of volunteer firefighters are declining as demands for service increase.  The Fire Department currently has two full-time and 28 paid on-call firefighters, and a contracted ambulance service.  DeMaa says the current model is being stressed and will face challenges ahead.  He says city leaders need to plan for the future to ensure sustainability of these essential services.