Resume talks about regional fire department

It is a sensitive subject for sure, but there couldn’t be a better time for resuming discussions about creating a regional fire department in La Crosse. La Crosse has held talks in the past with neighboring communities about the regional fire department concept, and those talks haven’t always gone well. But those talks should resume again. A regional fire department could lead to better response times. A weekend fire in the town of Campbell saw Campbell’s volunteer firefighters responding in seven minutes. Had La Crosse been called to help, they could have been there in three minutes. Our firefighters say they would be happy to help. And both Holmen and Onalaska are currently searching to fill vacant fire chief positions. That makes this the perfect time to resume discussions. And the city of La Crosse is considering building new fire stations in the city. That is still a ways off, but it makes sense to talk about regional fire service before we determine whether to build any new firehouses, and where they would be located. A regional agency could save taxpayer’s money and reduce response times. Let’s put the politics aside and be willing to consider the idea. Now is the perfect time.