Merton may seek paramedic services from Lisbon

Posted: Nov. 8, 2011

The chiefs of the Merton and Town of Lisbon fire departments are apparently discussing the possibility that Lisbon would provide paramedic-level emergency medical services to the Village of Merton. Fire and emergency medical services are currently provided to the village by the privately chartered, all-volunteer Merton Fire Department.

If successful, the negotiations might create a foundation for another round of fire service consolidation talks in the region and represent continued improvement in the relationship between the Town of Lisbon and Village of Merton, according to some sources.

Lisbon Fire Chief Doug Brahm has been putting together a loosely knit coalition of communities including Lisbon, and the villages of Lannon, Germantown, Menomonee Falls and Richfield for the purpose of sharing in paramedic-level services and training without requiring a written agreement among the communities.

Brahm said in an interview Tuesday that the Village of Merton may be added to group. He said Merton Fire Chief John Leidel contacted him about a month ago about the possibility of Lisbon providing paramedica service to the Village of Merton.

Leidel could not be reached for comment, but Merton Village Administrator Tom Nelson said Leidel had briefed him on the ongoing discussions with Brahm.

Nelson predicted that Merton village trustees would likely support receiving paramedic services from Lisbon but might require a written agreement if the arrangement between the two municipalities is likely to become long term.

Paramedic-level emergency medical services are currently provided to the Village of Merton through a contract with Lake Country Fire and Rescue.

The contract, established in 2007 with the City of Delafield, stipulated that Delafield would provide emergency paramedic-level services to the villages of Merton and Sussex and would assist Sussex in establishing a home-based paramedic system.

The contract - which is nearing its expiration date - was continued when the City of Delafield consolidated with the Lake Country Fire Department, which served the villages of Chenequa and Nashotah, to create Lake Country Fire and Rescue in 2010.

Since the creation of Lake Country Fire and Rescue, officials of the Village of Merton and the Merton Fire Department have been concerned that the service levels they were receiving have changed.

A City of Delafield SUV, equipped to provide paramedic-level medical response, was frequently stationed at the Merton Village Hall before the Delafield-Lake Country consolidation. Jack Edwards, chief of Lake Country Fire and Rescue, acknowledged that the SUV has been transferred to the Nashotah Fire Station.

Edwards explained that the SUV at the Nashotah station can respond quickly to paramedic-levels calls in the Village of Merton. Since Sussex has paramedics on its fire department, those paramedics can also respond to calls in the village, Edwards added.

Sussex has been developing a paramedic program under the auspices of the state license issued to the City of Delafield.

Lisbon has its own state license and operates its paramedic system through the town-owned fire department.

Edwards said he can understand the Village of Merton considering a paramedic contract with Lisbon.

"Lisbon is closer for them,' he said.

Lisbon also recently approved a contract providing that the town will plow snow from Village of Merton streets.

Although they share borders, relationships between the Town of Lisbon and Merton fire department in the past have been strained, according to past and present Merton village officials and fire fighters. Brahm, however, said he has seen no evidence of a strained relationship while he has been chief.

If relationships between the fire departments and the governing boards of the two communities continue to improve, it could remove geographic barriers to possible consolidation or shared services agreements in the future, according to sources.

The Town of Merton, which is north of both communities, might be looking for a fire department consolidation partner in the future. The Town of Merton is currently served by four privately chartered fire departments, including Merton. A report prepared by the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliances has recommended that the Town of Merton either join with an existing municipal department or create its own.

Lake Country Fire and Rescue has also submitted a proposal for consolidation with the Summit Fire Protection District. If approved, that proposal might add the villages of Summit and Oconomowoc Lake along with portions of the Village of Dousman into Lake Country Fire and Rescue.

However, elected officials in Delafield and Nashotah have expressed concerns about Lake Country Fire and Rescue growing too fast, too soon.