LISBON — The Village of Lisbon is officially outsourcing its fire and EMS services to the city of Pewaukee.
The Lisbon Village Board voted back in July to sign a 10-year contract agreement with Pewaukee to supply equipment and staffing for their fire and EMS.
Since the news, TMJ4 has been hearing reports from concerned community members.
"Why did you reach out to us about this?" TMJ4's Mariam Mackar asked a resident who asked to stay anonymous.
"Because of growing up in the community," the person replied. "Obviously, it's something you take pride in. Lisbon's a small community, everyone knows each other. When you call 911 your neighbor might be responding, the person down the street might be responding."
"I can see you're getting emotional about this, why is this an emotional topic for you?" Mackar asked.
Watch: Residents react to Lisbon outsourcing all fire, EMS to city of Pewaukee
"It's life and death, you know? When you call 911 you're not having a good day. You want help fast."
That Lisbon native tells Mackar they have family members who have worked at the Lisbon Fire Department for decades and changes coming to the station hit close to home.
"It's a slap in the face. You have people who have been on for 20, 30 years and they're basically being told 'we don't need you anymore.'"
TMJ4 first heard about these concerns from community members back in March when the contract was just a proposal.
We were there this Thursday as Pewaukee transitioned their technology and equipment to Lisbon's two fire houses, which Pewaukee crews will be working out of.
As the change-over happens this resident says many of the current Lisbon staff won't be there to see it.
"They said [to Lisbon staff], if you want to apply, apply. No guarantees after that. The way it sounds right now, one person is going over there and that's it— beyond that, it sounds like everyone else is kind of going their own directions," the resident said.
Village president, Joseph Osterman, told TMJ4 that the residents should not see a difference in their emergency response times and that this change was the best choice for the future of the village and its residents.
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