Holmen village president says fire dept. coop meetings “five years too late.”

It was a meeting that may have been ‘five years too late.’

That’s what Holmen village president Nancy Proctor said about Tuesday’s summit meeting in Onalaska, which brought together fire chiefs and community leaders from throughout the La Crosse area.

The idea of the meeting was to get communities talking in how to work together more on fire protection.

Proctor said mutual aid was appreciated during the winter, when an apartment building near Holmen High School burned down.

“It was a 12-apartment unit,” she said. “ Sadly enough, when that one was built, they didn’t have to have fire suppression systems in them.”

Proctor said that crews from Onalaska, Trempealeau and Galesville responded to that fire.

She says fighting between communities about paying for fire equipment has caused safety problems in recent years but is glad talks are beginning on cooperation.

The meeting also comes as the Holmen Area Fire Department could take action on buying a new fire truck tonight.

New equipment is needed by Holmen to replace one vehicle that has been used since the 1980s. The price tag for a new truck is around $860,000. The joint fire department serves not only Holmen but also the towns of Holland and Onalaska.