VIDEO: West Allis and Wauwatosa are considering merging their fire departments following a study that projects significant financial savings and potential improvements in response times. Wauwatosa’s common council heard a presentation on the potential merger at their meeting Tuesday, where the fire chief endorsed the idea.
Fire Chief Jim Case, who has led the Wauwatosa Fire Department for 25 years, warned of impending service cuts if the merger does not move forward. “I think it’s been death by 1,000 paper cuts. Over the years, both departments have continued to be reduced little by little, and now we’re at the point where there’s not a whole lot of other options other than serious service reductions,” Case said. Case explained that his department now has 104 staff responding to over 10,000 calls, compared to 115 staff handling 3,000 calls 25 years ago. City officials also said the department would have to cut two firefighter positions by 2027 if the city doesn’t come up with more money.
