History
On January 1st, 2008 the Town of Cedar Lake partnered with five neighboring townships – Birchwood, Wilson, Edgewater, Long Lake, and Doyle – along with the Village of Birchwood to establish the Birchwood Four Corners Emergency Services District (BFCESD). The BFCESD provides fire protection for all of these municipalities, as well as ambulance services for all except Doyle, Long Lake, and parts of Cedar Lake.
The Birchwood Four Corners Emergency Services District (BFCESD) is a newly established government entity created with the sole purpose of providing emergency services to its member municipalities, and surrounding communities. The Birchwood Volunteer Fire Department and Birchwood Ambulance Service report directly to the District. Each Town, along with the Village of Birchwood, appoints a commissioner, and together these seven commissioners form the governing Board of the District.
Prior to the formation of the BFCESD, the six towns contracted with the Village of Birchwood for fire and ambulance services, with all decisions being made by the Village Board. For many years, an advisory group—comprising representatives from the contracted towns—provided input on budget and coverage matters, but they held no formal decision-making authority. This placed the Village Board in a challenging position, as they were elected to serve the Village but had to make decisions impacting six other towns as well.
In 2007, the advisory group began discussions on forming an emergency services district focused solely on public safety. Art Johnson, a Village Board member with prior experience in a fire district, provided valuable insights into the benefits of creating such a district. After several months of discussions and collaboration between the towns and the Village, incorporation papers (view here) were drafted and resolutions passed, formally establishing the BFCESD.
While services provided by the Birchwood Fire Department and Birchwood Ambulance Service remain unchanged, the formation of the BFCESD brings several potential benefits.
- First, all decisions regarding emergency services are now handled at the monthly, or (occasionally) bi-monthly, BFCESD meetings, where the sole focus is public safety. Each town and the Village of Birchwood have one vote, ensuring equal representation. The agenda is dedicated exclusively to emergency services, allowing for more focused and efficient decision-making.
- Secondly, as a District that includes six towns and one village across four counties, the BFCESD has a greater potential to qualify for more grant funding. The collective strength of the District makes is more competitive when applying for grants that support emergency services.
In today’s environment, intergovernmental cooperation is highly encouraged and often favored by many organizations reviewing grant applications. Each member municipality is located in the far corners of its respective county, often a significant distance from established county evacuation centers. As such, the successful construction of a new Fire and Ambulance building can serve as a local evacuation center. We are grateful to have received generous support from our community and municipal partners. In addition, David and Carolyn Cleveland generously donated a matching grant of $500,000 to the BFCESD. We could not have done it without ALL of you!