A change in dispatching systems is forcing Appleton firefighters and Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue to tweak how they’re called to emergencies in each other’s communities.
The departments have had an automatic aid deal in place for seven years sending the closest engine to a fire or medical call regardless of city borders. Neenah-Menasha Chief Kevin Kloehn says dispatchers for Outagamie and Winnebago counties will have a little harder time communicating for the next several weeks. They’re both getting upgraded systems and Outagamie’s is already on-line. Winnebago’s won’t be in place until sometime next month.
Kloehn says it’s still a working system, it’s just not as fast as the automatic switch that they’re used to. He says overall the automatic aid agreement has been fantastic for the communities.
