West Allis-Wauwatosa joint fire department's new name ignites debate

West Allis-Wauwatosa joint fire department’s new name debate

The West Allis and Wauwatosa common councils approved the creation of a joint fire department earlier this week, and it has ignited a debate over its new name: Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - The West Allis and Wauwatosa common councils approved the creation of a joint fire department earlier this week, and it has ignited a debate over its new name: Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue.

The backstory:

The fire chiefs in both West Allis and Wauwatosa said the merger addresses staffing and budgeting challenges, as well as response times. Joint operations are expected to begin in 2027.

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‘Whose department is this’

What they're saying:

Some see the merger, and the name of the new joint entity, as resourceful. Others see it as a source of confusion.

"The merger stands on its merits, but it should stand on its own name," said Milwaukee Ald. Peter Burgelis.

Milwaukee Ald. Peter Burgelis

Burgelis said he sees the benefits of combining the West Allis and Wauwatosa fire departments, but as a Wauwatosa native, he said "Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue" is a misleading name.

"I’ve already heard feedback from my constituents this morning that it would create confusion on who’s responding, whose department is this, who’s really responsible and who’s held accountable for the operation of that department," he said.

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Burgelis said, although the Milwaukee Fire Department works alongside other departments at times, the city has nothing to do with the merger and shouldn't be in the name.

"We are the Milwaukee department, here in Milwaukee, and the suburban departments are not part of the Milwaukee department," he said.

‘Much ado about nothing’

What they're saying:

Wauwatosa Fire Chief Barbara Kadrich said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told her he was supportive of the name. She said a survey showed a majority of fire staff members voted on the name as well, and "Milwaukee Regional" was another option.

Wauwatosa residents who spoke to FOX6 News on Friday seemed pleased about the merger and the name.

"I don’t think it’s going to be a bad thing, hopefully it’ll be a good thing, but the change doesn’t seem bad to me, so I’m excited to see what that brings," said Amanda Nance.

"If I was someone who needed something, that name sounds appealing," said Vanessa Diaz.

In a statement to FOX6 News, Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride called discourse about the name "much ado about nothing:"

"Whenever a new entity is created, some like the name and some don’t. Perhaps Mr. Burgelis should ask the City of South Milwaukee and the Village of West Milwaukee to change their names, too. Perhaps the Milwaukee Public Schools should challenge the name of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Perhaps Mr. Burgelis will recall that Wauwatosa and West Allis are in Milwaukee County and part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area – hence the name "Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue," which is similar to the name of the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Perhaps Mr. Burgelis will find a better use for his time. 

"The City of Wauwatosa and the other Milwaukee County municipalities always strive to work collaboratively with the City of Milwaukee, and usually receive collaboration in return. Apparently, Mr. Burgelis, unlike his colleagues, does not operate in that spirit.

"My understanding is that Aaron Lipski, the chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department, has given, or will be giving, a statement to the Milwaukee Common Council indicating that throughout this process he has been aware of the name of our new fire department and – more importantly – that local fire departments, including ours and MFD, will continue to assist each other under our shared service agreements and that what people care about most is not the name on the truck, but having a truck arrive quickly at their homes when there is a fire or a medical emergency."