Full Time Employment

About the District

The District is owned by, and provides fire and EMS services to, the residents of the City of Oconomowoc, Village of Summit, Village of Dousman, and Town of Ottawa. In addition, the District also provides fire and EMS services to the residents of the Town of Oconomowoc, Village of Lac LaBelle, and portions of the Town of Merton. EMS services are also provided to the residents of the Town and Village of Sullivan, Town of Ashippun, and portions of the Town of Concord. 

The District was built on the partnership and spirit of cooperation between municipalities to provide fire/EMS services in the most fiscally responsible and efficient manner possible. The District is the combination of six previously individual Fire/EMS Departments that have been brought together to provide more efficient service, while increasing the levy of care provided to the communities it serves. These consolidations have also provided a sustainable approach to staffing and decreasing response times, while increasing the level of Emergency Medical Service Care to the Paramedic level. 

The minimum daily staffing for the District is 18 to 21 personnel between the six stations. That staffing includes a Duty Chief, six ambulances and five paramedic interceptor units. The stations also cross-staff an engine, quint, or rescue. 

Additional staffing from paid-on-call personnel supplements and ensures adequate staffing for all fire, rescue, and motor vehicle incidents. The District maintains another five ambulances that are also staffed when call volumes require additional ambulances, or during special events that occur throughout the District. Our annual call volume of over 6,500 calls includes a mix of fire, emergency medical, specialty service, and high acuity incidents. 

Covering 215 square miles, the Western Lakes Fire District’s service area is a diverse mix of suburban, rural, and wildland-urban interface with a population of 54,568. Included in the Fire District’s coverage area are two hospitals (with one being Level 2 Trauma certified), several miles of Interstate 94 and other state highways, three large behavioral/mental health facilities, seven large elderly living facilities, growing retail areas, expansive manufacturing and distribution centers, multiple outdoor recreational location including the Kettle Moraine State Forest, numerous educational facilities including a high school, multiple middle, elementary, and private schools. 

Special services provided by the District include: Search and Rescue with drone operations, Dive Rescue Team with surface Water/Ice Rescue, Rescue Task Force, Rehabilitation Unit, Critical Incident Stress, Interfacility Ambulance Transports, Bike Patrol, and Therapy K9 unit. The District is highly involved with the communities it serves, and regularly attends public relations and education events. These activities include hosting open houses at the District Stations, parades, festivals, block parties, attendance at schools, and many more.