Emergency service providers in Wisconsin are warning that rural communities might not have the fire response they need.
“What we found was that just under half the departments lack the personnel to make a fire response that involves four people and an engine. So, the way that’s being dealt with is that most of the departments are using mutual aid to fill that gap, and as there’s less and less volunteers available, and about 80 percent of our fire departments in Wisconsin are staffed by volunteers, or near volunteers who are paid a small amount to be part of the department. It’s put a pretty significant strain on the emergency response infrastructure,” said James Small, the EMS Outreach Program Manager for the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.
Small warns that more than 60 percent of rural fire departments have expressed concerns about staffing and budget levels. A big problem, he says, is that more and more folks are taking jobs outside their local communities.
Producers may need to prepare for margin pressure in livestock feeding, while dairy farmers could benefit from stronger product demand.
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today issued a new memorandum to modernize and strengthen America’s wildfire prevention and response system.
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Rather than making “cuts” to SNAP, as has been claimed, the One Big Beautiful Bill merely modifies the program’s funding structure.
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Year-round sales of E-15 are another major topic on Capitol Hill, which, according to Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), is one issue up for debate this session with significant bipartisan support.
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