HISTORY

On May 1, 1988, the South Milwaukee Fire Department stated Paramedic Advance Life Support Service. This unit is part of the Milwaukee County Paramedic System. The South Milwaukee Paramedic Unit serves the cities of Cudahy, Oak Creek, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee. Paramedics receive 1000 hours of advanced emergency medical training. This training allows Paramedics to perform emergency procedures at the scene of an emergency that in the past could only be performed in an emergency room. In May of 1997 the department increased the number of firefighters from 12 to 15 that are trained at the level of Paramedic.

In January of 1996, the Fire Department took delivery of a new Aerial Ladder Truck. This ladder truck replaced a series of ladder trucks that date back to the start of the City's Fire Department. The issue of a ladder truck for the city was first raised in 1893, the year the fire department was organized. This occurred after a number of fires happened in the city and the question of fire protection was raised by the citizens. The first department's "Hook and Ladder" truck was a horse drawn unit and manned by a ladder brigade. The new ladder truck is a Pierce Lance 105' Aerial Ladder. It is equipped with a 105' heavy duty ladder with piped waterway, 1500GPM pump, 300 gallon water tank and a diesel engine.