'It defies logic:' Town of Waterford residents concerned about response times with Tichigan Fire Co. taking over



WATERFORD -- A new contract will change where fire and emergency services come from in the Town of Waterford, and some community members say they do not believe it's the safest option.

In the Town of Waterford, 2020 will bring changes to emergency services, much to the dismay of some residents.

"I think right now, we need to figure out a plan for Jan. 1," said Dave Kwasinski, who lives in the Town of Waterford.

"It defies logic," said Scott Burns, Town of Waterford resident.

The Village of Waterford provides fire department and EMS services to town residents, but not for long. Despite a new contract the village administrator said would have cut costs nearly in half, the town board ultimately went a different direction, voting 3-2 for services to come from the Tichigan Volunteer Fire Company instead.



"A response time of 12 minutes from Tichigan, no way, when we have two minutes from this firehouse with on-staff paramedics and it's hooked up to the Racine County emergency system and Tichigan is not hooked up," said Burns.

Burns and Kwasinski, who are neighbors, said they believe the decision should've been up to town residents.



"If we need to call 911, how long is it going to take to get somebody here?" said Kwasinski.

Nick Draskovich, one of the board members who voted for the change said:

"I have full confidence in the Tichigan Fire Company, and with the assistance of the Rochester Fire Department, our residents will be safe and covered with EMS services. I hope to see that the Village of Waterford Fire Department can work with Tichigan to come up with a mutual aid assistance subcontract in the future."



Meanwhile, the village administrator said the offer remained on the table.

On Tuesday afternoon, another board member who voted the village's proposal down said he believes Tichigan will provide the town what it needs for future growth.

Still, residents said they don't think this is the safest option for the community.