Kronenwetter Village Hall. MWC file photo.
KRONENWETTER, WI (WSAU) — The Village of Kronenwetter will go ahead with plans to create its own ambulance service over the next 18 months, with off-ramps in place just in case things take an unexpected turn.
The Village Board voted 4-3 to move the proposal forward but amended the motion, creating a sub-committee to advise the board through the process. Village President Chris Voll says they will serve as a “checks and balances” for the process. He thinks that’s good for everyone because there are still a lot of unknowns that need to be checked over the next 18 months.
“There were still a lot of questions that weren’t really answered,” said Voll. “There were not a lot of ‘warm and fuzzy’ feelings about creating an ambulance service. It’s a big expense and a big undertaking.”
The move comes as the village is halfway through a three-year contract with the Riverside Fire Department for ambulance service. Voll says if they get to a point where the numbers aren’t moving favorably they can step back, sign another contract with a provider, and take more time to re-evaluate the course. “If it’s not cost-effective or it would be [a step in the] wrong direction we would have the opportunity to pull back on it,” said Voll. “If something doesn’t jive, we pump the breaks to figure out what’s missing and resolve it. If it’s something that can’t be resolved, then [we know] we totally miscalculated something.”
But if the numbers look good, it’s to the next milepost with a target start date of January 1st, 2026. “We have an 18-month window. I would imagine when you break that up into two-month intervals we would have a half dozen stage gates, if you will,” said Voll.
Village leaders will now work to seat the sub-committee with residents, elected officials, and others with knowledge of the ambulance industry. Some on the board suggested adding outside residents to bring a fresh perspective.
Voll notes that all of the subcommittee’s meetings will be open to the public and posted per open meetings laws. No timeline for the group’s first meeting was immediately given.
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