The document summarizes the findings of a long range planning committee for the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department. It provides details on the department's service area, assets, personnel, and facilities. Key findings include that the department has evolved beyond just fire response to provide various rescue and ambulance services for a population of over 3,000 across three townships. However, recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is a challenge given the intensive training requirements and time commitments required which can detract from personal and work obligations. The committee assessed that sustaining adequate staffing levels as current volunteers age and retire will be important for continuing to provide fire protection and emergency services to the communities into the future.

1. BRUSSELS – UNION – GARDNER
FIRE DEPARTMENT
"Thanking and proudly serving the Towns of Brussels, Union, and Gardner. Three Towns...
ONE Department. Working together."
WHY ARE WE HERE?
Two and a half years ago, the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Board formed a Long Range
Planning Committee for the purpose of examining the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire
Department, what we currently have and what we believe we need to sustain the fire
department well into the future.
This examination encompasses the number of volunteer firefighters assigned to the department,
the operating budget, equipment, and facilities, as well as recruitment and retention of
volunteer firefighters, and an independent facilities evaluation by Keller
Planners/Architects/Builders.
The Committee also took into consideration the concern of your communities for fire
protection, ambulance service (Paramedic, EMT and EMR), and police services. We have
recognized that future fire protection will not mirror that of the past! We propose a “proactive”
approach rather than a “reactive” approach. This is truly an investment for your community for
the next 50yrs. Keep in mind, this is not just about property and fire, but personal safety and
life, as well as health and ambulance services. This is not just about physical assets in your
community, but more importantly about the people in your community.
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2. BRUSSELS – UNION- GARDNER
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Who We Are:
• B.U.G. Fire Department was formed in 1967 with a Fire Chief, Asst. Fire Chief, and 26 volunteer
firefighters from Brussels, Union, and Gardner and had 1 station.
• Today the department is comprised of 51 volunteer firefighters, has one Fire Chief and two Asst. Fire
Chiefs. It is one department now operating out of two fire stations.
• B.U.G. Firefighters range in age from their 20’s to their 70’s. Of these volunteer firefighters, 20 come
from Gardner, 13 come from Union, and 18 come from Brussels.
• 11 between the age of 50-59
• 4 over the age of 60
Who We Serve:
• B.U.G. Fire Dept. serves you, our primary stake holders who live in our communities and those
citizens who pass through or visit our communities.
• B.U.G. Fire Dept. today not only provides fire protection, but also provides rescue services from motor
vehicle accidents, water and ice incidents, search and rescue operations, recovery operations, and
mutual aid to other agencies just to name a few.
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3. What We Have:
• B.U.G. Fire Dept. assets involve 51 personnel, 2 fire stations, 11 fire trucks
i.e. Engines, Rescue, Tenders, 6 special rescue rigs, (all donated): i.e. boats, sleds,
trailer, atvs, and numerous pieces of personal protective and communications
equipment.
• Equipment assets alone amount to just over $3,011,000.
• Today, B.U.G. Fire Department is a legal corporation, with a joint fire district of three townships pooling
resources for one purpose with an operating budget of $193,070.
What We do for Your Community:
• Aside from Fire and Rescue we conduct fire prevention & education and hold various fund raising events. Most
recently B.U.G. Fire Department was able to purchase a service truck at no cost to the tax payers of your
community. This was accomplished through a fund raising campaign of selling advertising space on the sides of
the truck which raised enough money to purchase the truck and equipment. Our fund raising events have paid for
numerous pieces of needed equipment that help sustain your fire department. Since 2003, B.U.G. Firefighters
have raised $149,418 and have secured $152,000 worth of equipment donations with all money raised being
donated back to the fire department for equipment purchases. This totals over $300,000!!! Your firefighters are
here for your community!
Training Requirements:
• Entry Level 1 & 2 60 Hrs., Fire 1 State Certification 36 Hrs., Haz-Mat Training 24 Hrs.,
In-House Driver/Operator Training 20 Hrs.
• Additional/Options - CPR encouraged, and in the case of Leadership – Officer classes are required. CPR
training 8 Hrs., Entry Level Officer Training 30 Hrs., Incident Safety Officer training 14 Hrs.
• Numerous hours are spent training, attending meetings, doing fund raising, doing community events, non paid
time and the general commitment to be a member of the B.U.G. Fire Dept. 3

4. Township Breakdown of Calls
BRUSSELS
Population – 1,136
Sq. Mi. – 36.058
Number of Addresses - 575
Past 5 Years
• Police calls – 1,597
• Fire calls – 123
• Ambulance calls - 206
UNION
Population – 999
Sq. Mi. – 21.175
Number of Addresses – 674
Past 5 Years
• Police calls – 1,471
• Fire calls – 92
• Ambulance calls - 160
GARDNER
Population – 1,194
Sq. Mi. – 34.308
Number of Addresses – 1,320
Past 5 Years
• Police Calls – 1,863
• Fire Calls – 128
• Ambulance Calls - 344
COMBINED TOTALS
Population – 3,329
Sq. Mi. Land – 91.541 (B.U.G.)
Sq. Mi. Water – 117 (B.U.G.)
Number of Addresses – 2,569
Past 5 Years
• Police Calls – 4,931
• Fire Calls – 343 (MA 84) = 427
• Ambulance Calls – 710 (B.U.G.)
(Other S.D. 395) =1,105
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5. LONG RANGE PLANNING PROCESS
Purpose of the Plan:
To identify and assist with existing and future improvement needs, including the retention
of the south ambulance (D.C. Operational Audit 04/2012) and what your communities will
need for long term sustainability well into the future for the B.U.G. Fire Department.
(Facilities North & South Stations, Staffing, & Equipment)
To stay ahead of needs and requirements to support the ability to serve your communities.
To plan for the expenditures that will accompany the above needs and requirements.
To provide the environment that promotes the retention and recruitment of personnel who
provide your protection.
To identify a future building site for a new South Fire Station.
To examine and improve ISO ratings for the best possible fire protection coverage for
your community maximizing coverage the best we can in a cost effective way.
To have a shovel ready plan in place in order to apply for any possible grants, federal
funding, stimulus, or Rural Development programs.
In General, our mission was to identify the needs of your fire department and match
those needs with the needs of the communities, determine what is working, what isn’t
working, and what needs to change, and to make recommendations for improving
future long term sustainability of your fire department and emergency services.
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6. The Long Range Planning Process Included Studying:
SERVICE
• Service area (land and water) (Fire , EMR & EMS response)
• Fire Fighting/Protection/Prevention & Education
• Fire Rescue (Trapped Victims)
• Ice & Water Rescue
• Search & Rescue
• Mutual Aid/Agreements
• Community Involvement
• Training Requirements
ASSETS
• Number of fire fighting vehicles currently
• Maintenance & replacement of vehicles
• Rescue equipment (boats, sleds, atv’s, trailers etc.)
• Ancillary equipment (SCBA’S, PPE, Radios, Pagers, etc.)
• Number of Firefighters (age, recruitment & retention)
• Station Facilities (age, location, maintenance, future space requirements, remodel & replacement)
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Three Townships Brussels, Union, & Gardner
• One Fire Department for a Joint Fire District governed by a Fire Board of Directors
• Tax levy based on equalized valuation of each township
• Joint County/Township facility
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7. Findings From the Study:
Service We have a year round populace of 3,329 people. It does not account for the tourist season increase of people. Remember,
all destinations to Door County drive through Southern Door! Your fire department has evolved over the past 47 years from
responding to fires to answering a variety of calls for service ranging from fires, to rescues, vehicle accidents, ice and water rescues,
ambulance calls, and mutual aid. There is also a good relationship between your fire department and the communities they serve.
They have proven this through their time and dedication , countless training hours, meetings, volunteer time, and fund raising efforts
to name a few. The fire department has also worked diligently in the past two years being evaluated by ISO. They were able to get
our fire insurance ratings down from a 9 to a 6. This may reduce your insurance costs for fire protection in your community depending
on your location and if your insurance company uses ISO as part of their rating process.
Equipment There is enough fire and rescue vehicles to adequately service our communities areas. Vehicle and equipment
maintenance is routinely conducted, with needed repairs being taken care of promptly. Fire vehicle replacement is handled per a
scheduled rotation and is handled through individual funding from each township. Ancillary equipment is purchased through the fire
department budget which currently is at $193,070. Also from the budget comes compensation for responding to calls, fuel, and
maintenance costs, insurance fees, building heating, electrical and maintenance, and other related costs.
The firefighters through their fund raising efforts help offset some of these costs.
What stands out in the study is personnel and the ability to sustain and recruit new volunteers to the fire department. There is a good
working and cohesive relationship between the leadership and the Firefighters. Currently there are 51 volunteers. Of that the average
age is 42 to 43 years. 15 of these volunteers are over the age of 50. State and Federal training requirements hinder the recruitment
factor due to the amount of time that training takes to conduct. Volunteers have regular jobs which they need to provide for their
families. Responding to calls and going to training takes away from work, family, and personal time, which these days are at a
premium. There is a high probability of loosing firefighters through longevity and retirement and the ability to replace these
firefighters is diminished by current training requirements and sub standard facilities. The question at hand is; will the lack of
volunteer personnel someday cause some dedicated and paid staff positions to evolve?
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8. Facilities The committee looked at our fire stations and identified building conditions, current equipment space, storage, office,
meeting capabilities, restrooms, clean up areas for equipment and personnel, turn out gear area and overall usability and functionality
of the two stations. We recognize when these stations were built, they were designed to house fire equipment and not provide for the
administrative side of firefighting as we see it today. We also recognize that todays firefighting services are greatly different than that
of 47 years ago and that in order to maintain volunteers and comply with state and federal requirements (NIMS,NIFR, OSHA, ADA)
updating our facilities and record keeping abilities will have to seriously be looked at. Retention and recruitment of your firefighters
as well as adequate space needs for training and meetings will be crucial for future sustainment of your fire department.
The committee listened to your firefighters who identified some of the needs for today’s fire fighting services. The committee also
toured 6 other more recently built area fire stations to learn what requirements and ideas had been incorporated into their building and
remodeling process. Each of these tours were presented by the area Fire Chief who also gave input to their building process. The
following are highlights from the Facility Evaluation completed by Keller dated September 5, 2012.
SOUTH STATION – BRUSSELS
• Built in 1967 and added on in 1980’s
• Steel structure construction / insulated
• Square footage 4,200’
• Ceiling height inadequate (Low)
• Houses 6 Fire Vehicles and 1Ambulance
• Ancillary equipment and storage against walls
and between vehicles
• Garage is all open bays with no separate Office or
Mechanical areas
• Restroom is unisex with a wash machine and
open storage (Not ADA Compliant) (No Shower)
• Electrical is located against wall in open bay
• Ability to expand for future needs
(Non Existent - Land Locked)
• External parking area (Limited – Non Expandable)
NORTH STATION – GARDNER
• Built in 1989
• Wood frame construction w/steel interior and exterior
facade / insulated
• Square footage 3,665’
• Ceiling height good
• Houses 5 Fire vehicles and ancillary rescue equipment
• Garage is all open bays with no separate Office or
Mechanical areas
• Restroom is unisex with a water heater/softener inside
restroom (Not ADA Compliant) ( No Shower)
• Electrical is located against wall in open bay
• Ability to expand possible with purchase of town property
• External parking area (Limited – Expandable)
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9. What stands out in both facilities is the lack of storage for equipment and the lack of adequate space for the vehicles. Through an
independent study from Keller, we learned also that both stations are in violation of several code requirements. Most noticeable was
the lack of ventilation for the fire trucks and lack of office space for reports to be completed and records to be maintained. There was
no mechanical or electrical room separate from the bays. We have compiled a list of inadequacies we strongly feel hinder with
retention and recruitment of existing and future volunteers as well as providing a safe working environment for your Firefighters and
EMR’S for both stations.
GARAGE APPARATUS BAY AREA ADMINISTRATIVE AREA
 Apparatus bays too small, no room for expansion
 Lack of proper floor drainage
 No tool room for maintenance and repair of equipment
 No secure equipment storage area
 No fire hose drying area
 No separate turn out gear area
 No wash area for cleaning equipment
 No mechanical or electrical room area
 No mapping or communications area in garage area
 No vehicle ventilation system exists (Code Violation)
 Exists in garage area basically non existent (Code
Violation)
 No Chiefs office (Confidential record keeping,
evaluations, discipline, insurance, incident reports etc.)
 No general work stations for firefighter reports
 No EMR office (Confidential record keeping)
 No Conference room (South Station, Fire Board, private
meetings)
 No sleeping quarters (for stand by at station)
 No separate restrooms with showers
 No kitchen/general meeting area
 No training room
 No health and safety room
 No computer access
 No space for Open houses, community fire prevention,
fundraising and recruitment opportunities
 No space to hold class room training
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10. IN CONCLUSION we would like to acknowledge the interest and support of the Community
and the efforts of the Long Range Planning Committee for the past two and a half years.
Our fire department and volunteers have served our communities with dedication and commitment
for the past 47 years. They have put their lives on the line numerous times to protect the
communities we love, live, and play in.
With future demands for services increasing, and more stringent training requirements required for
our firefighters, we as a community need to provide not only a storage facility for equipment but
also a facility that will provide a modern unified platform of service, Police, Fire, EMRS’ and EMS
for our residents.
The time is now, our facilities need improvements and repairs. The problems won’t go away.
Interest rates are low and construction costs continue to rise each year. Improving and building
facilities that will provide adequate housing and maintenance of equipment, and space needs that
meet continuing and future training requirements with offices and other spaces that can enhance
firefighter education, health and safety is a direct benefit too, and in the best interest of, our
Communities. This project will secure the future of your EMR’s, Ambulance and Fire Department.
Thank You!
"Thanking and proudly serving the Towns of Brussels, Union, and Gardner. Three Towns...ONE
Department. Working together."
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11. B.U.G. VOLUNTEER
FIRE DEPT. MEMBERS
NOT ALL MEMBERS PRESENT DURING PHOTO -OP
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