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- Fire Department refuses to die
Rock Springs, WI Jan 22, 2011The Rock Springs Fire Department refuses to die.
Despite the arguments of village president Marv Holtz, the volunteer fire department in this tiny Sauk County hamlet between Reedsburg and Baraboo is alive through the end of this year. The 15-person volunteer fire department narrowly escaped oblivion in November when nearby North Freedom withdrew a proposal to take over the village's fire-fighting operation.
But Holtz has called a community forum for Saturday. Village Clerk Jennifer Roloff on Thursday said he's bringing in a Montello facilitator to "find some resolution to what's going on with the Fire Department." Only those who live in Rock Springs or own property there can participate, she said. In the meantime, a spokeswoman for the volunteer fire department said she was puzzled. "We're not told anything," said First Responder Chief DeAnna Ploof. "This (forum) baffles us." Ploof's husband, Tim, is fire chief.
The stir in Rock Springs, population 400, mirrors concerns at volunteer departments around the state about survival and finding enough volunteers. According to the Wisconsin EMS Association, about 80 percent of Wisconsin's ambulance services respond to less than 1,000 calls a year, and volunteers staff nearly 75 percent of the state's ambulance services.
Ploof said Rock Springs gets about five fire calls and 25 first responder calls a year. The volunteers are paid $15 a call. "It doesn't matter if the call is 15 minutes or eight hours," she said.
- Wisconsin Firefighter Injured
Milwaukee - Jan 21, 2011A Milwaukee firefighter was injured while fighting a fire at a two-story home in the 3500 block of N. 19th Friday afternoon and taken to Froedtert Hospital for evaluation, said Deputy Fire Chief Randall Zingler.
The injuries were not life threatening, he said. But, he said, he did not know exactly what injuries the firefighter had sustained. The fire at the home was brought under control in about half an hour. The residents were out of the house, Zingler said.
- For the full Story Fire Wisconsin
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