The Monona Fire Department was formed in 1954, providing over 60 years of service to the community of Monona with fire and emergency medical services. The department is a combination department with nine career firefighter / paramedics, a full-time fire chief, one part-time firefighter / paramedic, and 32 paid-on-call firefighters. P
aid-on-call firefighter’s respond from home or work, while full-time firefighters / paramedics work a 24-hour shift, providing personnel to staff equipment for any type of response.
The City of Monona is a municipality that is landlocked by the City of Madison. It has a geographic area of approximately 3.5 square miles and a population of about 7,500. The city is served by an excellent water system that provides hydrant water supply in all areas except for the Hwy 12/18 bridge over the Yahara River.
Equipment
The Monona Fire Department currently has two engines, a 95-foot platform ladder truck, a heavy rescue squad, two ambulances, two cars, and a parade vehicle that was the first engine purchased by the department. The city provides excellent personal protective equipment, pagers, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and all other equipment needed to provide the best protection while performing a dangerous activity.
Service Calls
The department responds to over 1,300 ambulance calls and 400 to 500 fire calls each year.
Training
Paid-on-call firefighter’s attend three drill sessions each month and special training for specific activities at other times. Training is provided by the state, MATC, and other agencies for command, technical and specialized activities. Training is not specialized to individuals; as p
aid-on-call firefighter’s, all members need to be trained in all aspects of operations since not all members will be available for all calls.
Members
The department is staffed by members drawn from all backgrounds and skills which contributes to effective operations in many areas including construction, electrical, electronics, politics, public relations, truck design, and fire ground operations.
Members are trained to the Fire Fighter 2 level and have the opportunity to further equip themselves with training and skills, to be prepared for specialized incidents. Members are also trained as driver operators and back up the full-time staff when they are out on an ambulance run or for additional responses on a fire call. Opportunity also exists for those looking to get involved with emergency medical operations.
The department takes pride in the fact that many volunteer members use their experience to earn full-time positions with many other departments, including City of Madison, Marshfield, Rockford, and Green Bay. This is a great testimonial to the professionalism of the staff and members, in training for a very dangerous profession.
Community Involvement
The Monona Fire Department is part of a charter group of fire departments that make up division 115 in the Wisconsin Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. This will provide a coordinated response to major regional incidents that exceed the capabilities of the local department.
The Monona Fire Department is proud to be a part of the community and provides some support to youth sports activities and other civic agencies through annual fundraising activities. The members enjoy the camaraderie of the members and their families through various family activities throughout the year. While it is a dangerous profession for volunteers and career personnel alike, it forges a bond that, for many, makes it an extended family and a support system who assist each other in many ways.
Applications
We welcome applications at any time from anyone who wishes to join the department. Membership inquiries can be made by calling 608-222-2528, by stopping by the station at 5211 Schluter Road during any of our drills on the first, second, or third Tuesdays of each month, or by
email.