Brookfield Fire Department adds 9 firefighters in response to increase in calls for service

The Brookfield Common Council has agreed to nearly $3 million in federal funding to add nine more firefighters to the Brookfield Fire Department in the next three years. 

Brookfield Fire Chief David Mason said the department has had to rely on overtime on a daily basis to maintain staffing at the department's three fire stations. 

"We're just seeing more and more requests for our EMS services, which leaves a smaller amount of people available for fighting fires," Mason said. 

In 1995, the yearly total call volume for the department was 2,266. In 2021, that number is projected to rise to 4,629 — an increase of 104%.

Even with the increase, the staffing levels for the fire department have remained the same since 1995. 

The extra staff will help the department with the increase in calls, Mason said. 

On Tuesday, the council voted, 9-5, to approve the grant. Ald. Mike Hallquist was among those voting in favor of the grant. 

"For me, I think it's clear that we're adding quite a bit of structures, quite a bit of residents. All those residents equate to additional calls, additional risk, that our residents face," Hallquist said. 

The $2,994,000 grant, titled the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, will add an extra firefighter per day per fire station, according to a staff report from the city. This will, in turn, allow the department to meet national standards set by the National Fire Protection Association. 

Since 1995, the population of Brookfield has increased by 14%, to 41,464 residents. The number of condominiums has increased to 1,310, while single-family homes have increased by 12%, to 12,512, during that same time, according to a news release from Hallquist. 

The city also now has 229 buildings that are three to six stories tall. 

"I don't want to be in a position where we have less people at a fire if it's a major fire, or less people responding to a call that might put the staff we do have at greater risk," Hallquist said. 

Mason said the firefighters will likely be hired by February 2022. They'll serve alongside 58 sworn members and two support staff members at the city's three fire stations. 

Every firefighter in the department is also trained in emergency medical services (EMS). 

The city was the only municipality in the state to get the grant after it was submitted by former Brookfield Fire Chief Charlie Myers.

But some council members are worried about funding the extra staff after the grant runs out. Ald. Rick Owen, Bill Carnell, Bob Reddin, Jenna Mezza and David Christianson voted not to approve the funds.

"Once you go down this path, I think it's pretty difficult to go backwards," said Owen. 

After the grant expires, as attrition occurs within the department, the city could choose not to fill extra positions. Hallquist also said the city could terminate the nine positions after the grant expires, but he wouldn't be in favor of taking that route. 

Reddin said the lack of a plan on what to do after the grant expires was concerning to him. 

"That's not sound public policy," he said.

Carnell said he also wants to see the fire department and city instead look at how to better offer services now, given that the majority of calls the department responds to are EMS-related. 

In 2020, the Brookfield Fire Department responded to 72 fire calls and 2,376 EMS calls. 

"I would hope that along with this discussion of the grant, we could start to see some discussion of realignment of how we offer services," Carnell said. 

Evan Casey can be reached at 414-403-4391 or evan.casey@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecaseymedia.