Holmen Fire Dept. adding firefighters, cutting response times

Plan is to have 18 part-timers, 11 full-timers added.

HOLMEN, Wis. — The Holmen Fire Dept. has a plan to hire and shave minutes off its response time.

Within five years, the department hopes to hire 18 part-time and 11 full-time employees.

“We’re going to be able to pick up 114 eight-hour days that we’re not doing now, in the year,” Holmen chief Paul Menches said. “That will help us lower our response time, we feel during some critical times, especially on weekends and holidays. 

“And we think we can shave as much as two minutes off our current response times.”

That cut in response time comes with adding the one or two firefighters.

The basic plan is to add one or two full-timers each year to match the growth of the Holmen area.

Menches says they’ll be looking at candidates with various backgrounds. The town of Onalaska, Town of Holland and Village of Holmen websites all have applications.

Recruitment ends August 1.