After more than a year of discussion, the cities of Wauwatosa and West Allis have finalized an agreement to merge their two fire departments as a consolidated agency that with provide fire and EMS service to both cities under the name Milwaukee Metro Fire Rescue.
The Wauwatosa Common Council voted, 12-2, at its evening meeting Feb. 24 in favor of the agreement. Only Andrew Meindl of District 1 and Joseph Makhlouf II of District 3 voted against it.
The West Allis Common Council, meeting later that night, followed suit with a 10-0 vote endorsing the merger agreement.
The final draft of the agreement adopted by both cities is available here. Additional information about the merger and the process is posted to the City of Wauwatosa's website.
"For many years, through shared service agreements, our fire departments have worked closely together," Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride said in a city news release after the vote. "The merger is a logical step forward, and will preserve and strengthen the level of service we offer to residents of both communities."
The news release also quoted West Allis Mayor Dan Devine.
"This merger is an exciting step forward for both West Allis and Wauwatosa," Devine said. "By joining forces, we’re creating a stronger, more efficient fire and EMS service that benefits every resident. This partnership means faster response times, better use of taxpayer dollars, and access to additional funding opportunities that will strengthen public safety for years to come."
The two council votes commit both cities to move forward together with a joint department, though work still needs to be done before Metro Milwaukee Fire Rescue takes shape. (Full timeline can be found below this article.) The initial 10-year contract period would begin April 27, 2026, with automatic six-year renewals after that unless one city wishes to end the partnership.
Costs will be divided in half for the two cities, which are similar in populations, department sizes and service levels. Each city would retain ownership of firehouses but would begin sharing the cost of equipment maintenance and new purchases.
The joint department would be governed as a “nonstock corporation,” similar to a nonprofit, with a board made up of the two cities’ mayors, council presidents and city administrators. The plan also would create a joint fire commission with members appointed by the two mayors. The joint department would have the authority to set its own budget with limited annual increases. During the launch phase, the budget would increase 2.83% a year for the first five years.
Both cities' firefighter unions also are expected to form a new combined union to negotiate a contract with the new department. Until then, they will continue to work based on their old contract terms. The Wauwatosa union had sought assurances from the council that their current benefits would be preserved in the new department.
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. The two cities have been in talks over a potential merger since January 2025, with those talks accelerating last fall.
The two cities would save an estimated $7 million in the first five years of a consolidated department, according to a consultant's earlier analysis of the proposal. Those savings would be realized largely by sharing top leadership positions and reducing administrative staff through attrition, or leaving vacancies unfilled.
City officials, however, have cautioned against expecting those savings to result in lower taxes, especially at a time when the cost of public services continues to rise. Savings likely would allow the two cities to maintain fire services at current levels or enhance those services. A joint department also would give the cities greater flexibility to raise property taxes as needed to avoid fire service reductions.
Department mergers are granted an exception to state tax levy limits. Without that flexibility, the Wauwatosa Fire Department currently faces the elimination of one firefighter position in the city’s 2026 budget because of levy constraints.
The two cities also plan to apply for more than $40 million from a five-year state grant program that supports municipal consolidation projects, according to the consultant's report. The grants have an initial application deadline of March 31.
- 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.
The following is a timeline for next steps in the fire merger, released by the cities of Wauwatosa and West Allis:
