Kewaunee County Board Chairperson Dan Olson says there is no more efficient way to provide emergency medical services under the county's current system, but acknowledges that other options may need to be considered in the future.

During Tuesday's Kewaunee County Board meeting, Olson appointed nine members to the Kewaunee County EMS Staffing and Funding Analysis Committee. They include County Board member Gary Paape, Kewaunee County EMS Council Chairperson Tom Vandenack, Algoma Rescue member and Kewaunee County Coroner Rory Groessl, Kewaunee Rescue member Deb Pribek, Luxemburg Rescue member Dan Opicka, Pierce Town Chairperson Brian Paplham, Luxemburg Village President Bob Seidl, Kewaunee Mayor Jeff Vollenweider and Algoma Mayor James Winter.

Like many fire and EMS departments nationwide, Kewaunee County's emergency services rely heavily on volunteers and part-time personnel. Approximately 60% of fire and EMS departments across the country are primarily staffed by volunteers and part-time workers. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the number of volunteer firefighters nationwide declined from 827,000 in 2008 to 635,000 in 2023, while emergency call volumes have been trending upward.

Olson says that without more people stepping up to volunteer, the county may have to consider more costly alternatives to maintain emergency services.

Increasing training requirements and limited availability because of work and family obligations are among the challenges communities face when staffing fire and EMS departments.

Olson says discussions about the potential staffing challenges have already begun, and he hopes the committee can develop recommendations by next summer.