FORESTVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsin’s Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) stopped by the Southern Door Volunteer Fire Department station on Wednesday to recognize the importance of volunteer fire services.
During the visit, DSPS Secretary-designee Dan Hereth presented Chief Rich Olson of the fully-volunteer fire department with a check worth nearly $23,000.
These funds are part of the $28.3 million in total distributed this year to hundreds of fire departments across Wisconsin through the Fire Dues program.
This program requires insurers to pay 2% of premiums collected for insurance against loss from fires. After the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance collects the dues, DSPS then distributes the funds to cities, towns, and villages throughout the state, according to a prescribed formula.
Money received by fire departments is used to purchase and replace gear and equipment, provide fire prevention programming, train fire crews, and more.
“We really appreciate what the state is doing for us and it’s going to help us a lot,” Olson said. “Turnout gear costs over $4,000 per set, and each firefighter needs a set in order to do our job. The air tank that he wears on his back — the bottle that holds the air — those are $850 each. It’s a very expensive endeavor.”
Hereth explained the importance of the Fire Dues program and supporting Wisconsin’s fire stations.
“The reason we’re here is to highlight how critical providing resources to our local fire departments is. One of the things I think a lot of folks in Wisconsin don’t understand is that volunteer fire service makes up the vast majority of fire service in this state,” Hereth said. “So if we’re not providing funding, if we’re not providing good partnership with our volunteer service, we have trouble providing the community the safety it needs.”
