VERNON, Wis. — The Village of Vernon says it needs more money to recruit firefighters and operate the fire department. It is asking voters to approve a $700,000 referendum.
Vernon voter Susan Damico has seen her fire department in action a couple of times in the last few years—most notably three years ago when a chimney fire broke out in her home.
“It was flames and everything shooting,” Damico said. “So we grabbed the kids and went across the street, and the neighbors called 911. They were here instantly, putting it out.”
Again, this past fall, the fire department responded to her neighborhood after a neighbor’s fire pit got out of control. In both cases, she says they arrived quickly.
“They were very fast, and I was pleased,” Damico said.
Vernon Fire Chief Alex Felde says that to maintain fast response times and keep the fire station staffed 24/7, voters need to approve a $700,000 tax referendum. He says that will ensure there are no cuts.
“We would have to drop down to probably a lower level of staffing,” Felde said. “You need people to do this job. When a house is on fire, you need people to handle tasks in an efficient and timely manner.”
On top of that, Chief Felde says the village is responding to more calls than ever before. The department handled just under 900 calls last year and is projecting more than 1,000 this year. He says that also puts more wear on equipment.
“Everything that we do—the costs have gone through the roof. The costs of maintaining vehicles, the cost of hiring people, maintaining them,” Felde said.
Watch: Vernon fire chief warns of cuts if tax referendum fails
While Damico appreciates her fire department, she hasn’t decided how she’ll vote.
“I would have to go to a meeting and hear more about it because it is the first I've heard about that,” said Damico.
Voters will decide what happens during the Spring Election on April 1.
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