Oconto County and the town of Brazeau reached an agreement last week that names the Brazeau Dive Team as the water rescue service for the county and compensates the town $5,000 annually for the service.
The rescue service was in jeopardy of folding, as town officials struggled to justify the team’s $5,000 annual expense in an era of ever-tightening municipal budgets.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time, for months, trying to work something out with the county or to see what we were going to do with the dive team,” said Brazeau Town Chairman Ryan Wendt. “We went to the county, and they were open-minded about it.”
Wendt and a representatives from the dive team met with county officials in August. They asked the county to contract with the town because the dive team responded to calls outside its municipal boundaries but was funded solely by the town.
“We realize in the town of Brazeau, there are a lot of lakes,” Wendt said. “We feel there is a strong need in our town, but at the same time, there’s a lot more lakes in the county than in the town.”
The County Board on Thursday unanimously approved an agreement to support the service. The Brazeau Town Board approved the same contract on Nov. 11. Under the arrangement, the Brazeau Dive Team’s personnel, equipment and resources will be under control of the county, but their direct supervision will remain with the team’s supervisors. The agreement takes effect Jan. 1.
Wendt said the agreement will have positive results.
“We’re going to be able to provide a better service,” he said.
Along with the $5,000 from the county, the town intends to contribute $3,000 for the service, Wendt said.
The team will retain its name, Brazeau Dive Team, but will be open to members from outside Brazeau. Recruitment has already begun.
“They’re looking to add on at least a couple more (members) in the first year,” Wendt said.
The six-person volunteer dive team responds to an average of three emergency calls a year. The team provides open-water and ice rescues.
“They’re an asset to anything they’re called to assist with,” said Sheriff Mike Jansen, calling the team professional and well-trained.
The Sheriff’s Department does not have certified divers on its staff, and when the department recently contracted with a dive team from Green Bay, the cost was over $3,000 for a day and a half of work, Jansen said.
“It doesn’t take long … to add up dollars if a team is needed,” he said.
“This is money well spent, as far as I’m concerned. They’re well worth it,” Supervisor Bill Grady said.
“The biggest plus on keeping an organized dive team within the county is the response time,” Jansen said. “If we end up calling Brown County, it takes time in order to get that call in. The same with Marinette.”
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