Town of Delafield referendum, Fire & Rescue funding approved

DELAFIELD, Wis. - Town of Delafield voters on Tuesday approved a referendum that will fund Lake Country Fire & Rescue services through 2030.

Fire department referendum

The backstory:

Voters were asked if the town should fund an additional $450,000 a year, through 2030, for Lake Country Fire & Rescue services. LCFR Chief Matthew Fennig said seven other communities the department serves approved the plan in May. 

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The fire chief said the $450,000 would provide the funds necessary to have 12 people on duty at all times. They'd operate out of three stations. The new staff members would be full-time positions. When openings were part-time, he said they were difficult to fill. 

If the referendum failed, Fennig said the town would have had to go through its budget and look for other things to cut to fund the fire department.

The increase in staff comes at a critical time. Fennig said June saw more water-related rescues than fires. 

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