Wauwatosa officials on Jan. 20 provided an update on negotiations with their West Allis counterparts on a proposed merger of the two city's fire departments, which could come up for final votes at the end of February. One of the latest updates was a name.
Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue.
Wauwatosa Interim Fire Chief Barbara Kadrich told the Common Council's Government Affairs Committee that the proposed name for the combined department was chosen after the two cities surveyed their command staff and union firefighters. Many of the suggestions were some variation on the "metro" moniker, signifying that the department will be a regional service provider. She added that "fire rescue" has become a common alternative to "department" for many agencies.
"We wanted to identify a professional regional name that reflects who we are now and who we will be, moving into the future," Kadrich said.
Although this consolidated department would just involve the two cities, city officials have suggested there could be opportunities to invite additional suburban cities to join the department once it is up and running.
The latest version of the draft agreement between the two cities can be viewed here.
Wauwatosa, with about 50,000 residents, and West Allis, with about 60,000, are two of Wisconsin’s largest municipalities and the largest cities in Milwaukee County outside of the City of Milwaukee. Tosa and West Allis leaders have argued that the two neighboring cities, in addition to being about the same size, are well-suited for a consolidated fire department because the existing departments also are similar in size and levels of service.
A merger also would produce estimated savings of $7 million in the first five years, much of it through administrative staff reductions by attrition, or leaving vacancies unfilled, according to a consultant’s analysis of the proposal. The two cities would apply for more than $40 million from a five-year state grant program, which has an initial application deadline of March 31.
Additional information on the merger proposal can be found on the city’s website, including a tentative timeline for final approval at the Feb. 24 meeting of the Common Council. Proposed terms and other draft documents were endorsed Dec. 16 by the Common Council and can be accessed here.
- David Paulsen, a Tosa East Towne resident and editor of Tosa Forward News, has more than 25 years of experience as a professional journalist. He can be reached at editor@tosanews.com.
