The joint fire and EMS agreement between the Village and Town of Arena experienced a 17-hour lapse due to negotiations over a new contract extension. After separate meetings, both parties agreed to extend the current terms until November 8, 2024, amid concerns regarding funding discrepancies and fire service obligations.
The Village of Arena Board of Trustees held a special meeting to discuss separate fire and EMS agreements with the Town of Arena. Concerns were raised about the impact on morale and the absence of mutual aid in the EMS agreement. The board resolved formatting and grammatical issues, and the edited agreements will be reviewed by the village attorney and the Town of Arena.
On March 31, Gov. Tony Evers announced that he had vetoed recently passed Senate Bill 89. The bill, introduced by Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, would have made the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam optional for emergency medical responders. Marklein argued the bill would improve recruitment and retention for rural emergency medical services. Local EMS directors fell on either side of the issue, with an expert in prehospital emergency medicine arguing lowering the bar is never the answer.
The State Senate recently passed a bill that would make a national exam for EMR’s optional, in hopes to ease staffing difficulties for rural EMS departments in the state.