One year after learning 46 ways to improve the city’s Fire Department, Oconto Falls officials are slowly addressing issues that may lead to lower insurance rates for residents.
While the Fire Department regularly undergoes procedural inspection by the state, this was the first time the department was evaluated by a third party.
A 200-page analysis of the department included 46 recommendations the consultant said could improve the department’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. To determine a rating, the ISO takes stock of a community’s fire protection and assigns a classification from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best.
With simple changes, the department could improve its rating from a 4 to a 3 within a couple years, according to the consultant.
In reality, it hasn’t been that simple, Fire Chief Tim Magnin said. The goal of an improved rating is still more than a year away, because of the painstaking process required to make changes, he said.
Updating the department bylaws is one of the hurdles. The committee involved with the process is brainstorming ideas and collecting input from department members.
Fire Department officials have met with Mayor Brad Rice several times to address the consultant’s recommendations.
Assistant Fire Chief John Salscheider said the committee is moving in a positive direction.
“It seems like a snail’s pace, but things like this take time,” he said.
“We’ve done a lot of little things behind the scenes, but nothing drastic,” Magnin said.
He said residents should not be fearful they will not receive the service they need. His assurance was backed by the consultant one year ago, when he said firefighters were highly engaged in department operations, and the department meets the needs of the community. The fire station is positioned in a good location and equipment is well-maintained and in good condition, according to the consultant.
The city acted on one recommendation in April when the mayor appointed Magnin as fire chief, and the City Council approved the appointment. Previously, the chief had been elected by members of the department for a two-year term.
Training hours have also increased since the assessment was completed, Magnin said. Firefighters dedicated four to five hours each month to training when the study was performed, and the consultant recommended the department get closer to the 20 hours per month recommended by the ISO.
Salscheider said the department spends a lot of time planning for emergencies, to ensure it is well-prepared.
“People don’t recognize that. They think we just go to the fire,” he said.
Safety is another concern, and purchasing the best equipment can be expensive.
“We have to make sure we’re spending the taxpayers’ money the right way,” Salscheider said.
Changing the structure of the 30-member department was recommended, in order to distribute the workload more evenly and relieve the fire chief of some of his administrative tasks. Reorganization is being studied, but nothing has been finalized, Magnin said.
“It doesn’t pay to put someone in place and spend money on someone, if it looks good on paper but isn’t feasible for us,” he said.
The City Council will have the final say regarding changes for the department, and Magnin predicted the bylaws, job descriptions and other documents will be finalized within a year.
Until then, discussions with department members and city leaders will continue. Magnin said he wants communication to be open, with no unpleasant surprises for firefighters.
“They’re all going to be aware of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” he said.
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