New Report Highlights the Struggles of Rural Fire and EMS Services in Wisconsin

Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 -- 9:01 AM

(Wisconsin Radio Network) A new report from the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health highlights the struggles rural fire and EMS services are facing.

According to the Wisconsin Radio Network, Rural EMS Program Manager James Small says nearly half the departments in the state aren’t able to respond to calls with a basic level of firefighting.

Small says departments are relying on mutual aid for that, and that puts pressure on the neighboring agencies to fulfill those requests. He says it’s an issue with a declining number of volunteers and a lack of financial resources.

Small says regionalizing or consolidating fire and EMS services could help address the issue.

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