City of Peshtigo renovates Fire Department, adds EMS

PESHTIGO – The renovation and expansion of the Peshtigo Fire Department started in 2023 with a $3 million grant secured by former Mayor Cathi Malke. Some of the key features include a fire equipment storage room, EMS area, weight room, conference room, and a kitchen. According to Fire Chief Charles Gardon, the new facility will enhance response times by integrating EMS services, reducing the City of Peshtigo fire department’s reliance on external EMS units.

The department recently purchased four new trucks – an equipment truck, a command vehicle and two EMS vehicles – and updated equipment. The transition to full EMS operations is set for Nov. 1, with the department responding to all local calls.

Gardon became Fire Chief in Dec. 2019, and while he holds great respect for former chief and now firefighter Chad Ryczek, he said he knew the department was due for some changes.

“When I took over, we knew there had to be some equipment updating,” Gardon said. “We ended up buying two new trucks in 2020 – we spent a little over $800,000 buying two new trucks, and we bought new turnout gear, which is very, very costly. We then went on to buy new SCBAs, and all this stuff takes a lot of money.”

Even after buying new equipment and gear, the fire department found there was still a space issue.

“When we used to have our trucks in here, you’d have to walk sideways to get through, but you really couldn’t open up all the doors of the truck because there just wasn’t any room,” Gardon said. “We just had nowhere to go. We ran out of room. When we used to hold our meetings in the bay over here, some of the guys had to sit on the truck – it was chaotic, and something had to be done.”

While the expansion has been needed for some time, according to Gardon, the full renovation plan didn’t take hold until Malke came to a firefighter meeting with a question.

“It all started when Malke came to one of our meetings and asked if any of the firefighters would be interested in becoming emergency medical responders,” he said. Nearly every firefighter in the room raised their hand.

Gardon recognized his team, acknowledging the time and effort they put in to keep the community safe.

“The credit goes to our firefighters and our EMS folks, because it is a lot of work. It’s a lot of training and schooling through Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), and these people are willing to sacrifice time from their families to be able to do all this,” Gardon said. “They deserve much more credit than I get.”

Gardon said the grant request was initially turned down multiple times, but was eventually given thanks to Malke’s persistence.

Thanks to the addition of local EMS, Gardon said, “We’re going to provide a quicker response time for our citizens. We work in conjunction with the emergency rescue squad in Marinette and the paramedics from Bay Area Medical, so instead of waiting for units to come from Marinette, which can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to get here, especially if they’re on other calls, we’ll be any place that we have to be within our city here in a matter of minutes.”

Training firefighters in EMS doesn’t replace the care of paramedics, but the fire department can provide almost immediate assistance on the scene while waiting for backup.

“It’s so important that we work as a part of a team with emergency rescue squad paramedics. They have about 3,500 calls a year servicing a 400-square-mile area, so they aren’t always able to be here quickly.” Gardon said. “Now we can at least start the initial triage and render some aid.”

With the need for both more space and local EMS, Malke was able to generate support for the renovation and additions.

After the grant was approved, Gardon looked at other fire department in the region and said he was inspired by equipment at the Suamico Fire Department.

“They had this nice air handling equipment, and we got the same system,” Gardon said. “As soon as our doors open, those things automatically kick in and purify all the air from our diesel engines.”

“When we come back from a call with our gear on, we take a shower right off the garage,” Gardon said. “There’s also an eye washing station, a washer, dryer and extractor for our gear.”

The extractor is a significant update, as it removes more dirt and carcinogens than a household washing machine. In addition to the usual functions, the City of Peshtigo Fire Department’s extractor also features a setting for EMS.

“Our extractor has a special control for blood borne pathogens,” Gardon said. “So, if our EMS folks get blood on their uniforms, they can put them in, hit the button and it’ll automatically fit the correct amount of soap for disinfection.”
Thanks in part to the updated station, Gardon said there are new applicants to the department.

“A gentleman from Menominee, Mich., came in, put an application in and said he wants to join, but we have a residency requirement that you can’t be any farther than 10 miles away,” Gardon said. “But for EMS, he’ll come over here and he’ll stay, and he can do a 12 hour shift thanks to our new day room.”

Gardon hopes interest will continue to accrue after the station opens with EMS capabilities.

“It makes us a little bit more visible in our community, and I I feel that once we start actively running EMS, we’re going to get a lot more people interested in possibly joining,” he said.

Even with all the renovations, Gardon said the fire department will continue to serve the community outside of emergency services. The annual Halloween hot dog handout will be held at the city hall on Oct. 31, even though the station itself is not yet open.