Twin Lakes Monday approved a memo of understanding to work toward developing an emergency medical services collaborative with four other Western Kenosha County municipalities.
The vote was unanimous, with Trustees Sharon Bower and Barbara Andres absent.
The memo of understanding is to develop an intergovernmental agreement between Paddock Lakes, Salem Lakes, Twin Lakes, Wheatland and Randall governing an entity operated by Salem Lakes that would provide EMS to all five municipalities starting on Jan. 1, 2026. The entity is being called the Westside Emergency Medical Services Collaborative.
The memo of understanding says the initial cost of participating in the collaborative for the municipalities will be $255,150. In addition, Salem Lakes will pay for all staffing for Salem Lakes Fire/Rescue Station 1 in Trevor and 12 hours of staffing at Station 2 in Salem, which serves Paddock Lake.
Funds received for billing patients for service would be pooled and used for capital needs, such as new ambulances and equipment.
Board members expressed support for the move, though acknowledging many details need to be worked out over the next year.
“I’m very happy that the parties have come together on this,” Trustee Kevin Fitzgerald said.
Said Trustee Aaron Karow: “I think it’s moving in the right direction.”
Salem Lakes, Randall, Wheatland and now Twin Lakes have approved the memo of understanding to develop the collaborative, leaving only Paddock Lake to formally sign on.
Some of the discussion by the board Monday centered on the village’s Nov. 5 EMS referendum. That question will seek approval to levy $450,000 for emergency medical services. A similar referendum failed in Twin Lakes in August by 34 votes.
Though the EMS collaborative will cost Twin Lakes $255,150 to participate, board members emphasized they still need the $450,000 due to the need to cover expenses of Twin Lakes Fire & Rescue that won’t be available due to the changed revenue dynamic of the collaborative.
“We have to back fill,” said Karow..
Added Fitzgerald: “There is a gap that still needs to be filled after the $255,000.”
The goal is to have the new collaborative operating on January 1, 2026. In the meantime, Twin Lakes Rescue will continue to serve the village for EMS as it has in the past.
Current plans for the collaborative call for staffing three ambulances in the covered region 24/7 and another 12-hours at first working toward 24/7, Hiller said. One of those ambulances would be stationed at Twin Lakes Rescue and another at Randall Fire Station 2 in Bassett.
The collaborative is just for EMS and does not affect the operations of fire departments such as those in Randall, Wheatland and Twin Lakes. However, fire chiefs from those departments have been involved in the planning.
Twin Lakes, Randall and Wheatland had been studying the future of their emergency medical services since summer 2023, when Twin Lakes Rescue — which serves those municipalities — announced an initiative to fund 24/7 staffing for their station. In April, Randall and Wheatland passed referendums to provide the extra funding, while Twin Lakes’ referendum failed.
