KEWAUNEE (NBC 26) — As a paid volunteer for the Algoma Rescue team, EMS Service director Rory Groessl says he has experienced the strain of increased calls.
"Our call volumes in the past has increased from about the low 400's to over 560 last year," Groessl said.
While the number of employees has decreased state wide.
A recent study from Wisconsin Policy Forum shows that local fire and EMS departments have seen about a 5% drop in volunteers since 2020.
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"That's one of the hardest things in a small town," Groessl said when asked about helping the community knowing the shortages. "A lot of times, you know the people that you're taking care of. You may have grown up with them, they may have been your teachers, they may have been your neighbors...You have to be able to still function and provide the best care that you can."
Now, local leaders are putting their heads together to come up with possible solutions.
Last Tuesday, Kewaunee County Board chairperson Dan Olson appointed nine members, to a committee that will look into the challenges facing local EMS services. The members include:
- County Board member Gary Paape (who will be the committee chairperson)
- Kewaunee County EMS Council chairperson Tom Vandenack
- Groessl
- Kewaunee Rescue director Deb Pribek
- Luxemburg Rescue director Dan Opicka
- Pierce town chairperson Brian Paplham
- Luxemburg village president Bob Seidl
- Kewaunee mayor Jeff Vollenweider
- Algoma mayor James Winter
"We know it's the most cost-effective way to provide those services," Olson said about why the committee was formed. "The question is whether or not we will be able to continue to provide those services in the way they have been provided."
Olson says that if the committee suggests going to full-time EMS services, the county would have to spend about $1 to 2 million per year.
"It would be a significant cost and it would require a levy," he said.
Meanwhile, Groessl says that he is optimistic about the future of EMS services in Kewaunee County.
"I'm very positive about it," he said. "We've got to figure out what the solutions are."
Olson says that the committee will meet at least monthly, and will give their recommendations to the Kewaunee County Board next June.
