Town of Lawrence, Wisconsin

Q: Why do I sometimes see a fire truck respond with an ambulance when there is no fire?

A: The Town of Lawrence has Medical First Responders that are dispatched along with the ambulance to medical calls. Many of these First Responder’s are also members of the Lawrence Fire Dept. If those members are close to or at the fire station when a call comes in they will take a fire truck to the call, as our fire trucks also carry medical equipment. The City of De Pere Fire/Rescue provides the paramedic level ambulance service and transport to the hospital.

Q: Why do I see fire trucks from neighboring departments at fires in Lawrence?

A: The Lawrence Fire department has automatic aid/mutual aid agreements with all of the fire departments in Brown County and neighboring departments in Outagamie County. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that for every structure fire that there be a minimum of 15 firefighters on scene within 8 minutes. Lawrence is a small department, often times with limited personnel available. Having these agreements allows us to put those initial 15 firefighters on scene in a relatively quick timeframe and often times extinguishing the fire in short order. If the fire continues to spread we will then activate the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) which in turn sends additional apparatus and firefighters from a larger area.

Q: Why do you block so many lanes at traffic accidents?

A: It’s for the safety of our personnel and the patients we are treating. Unfortunately many of today’s drivers are distracted and not watching the road and nearby surroundings. Blocking extra lanes keeps a buffer between traffic that is still moving, the vehicles involved in the accident, and our firefighters. One of the most dangerous places for our members to be is out on the highway when vehicles don’t slow down or move over.

Q: My carbon monoxide alarm just went off, what do I do?

A: First check the detector and batteries for proper functioning. If they appear to be working properly call 911 immediately and evacuate the building. Carbon Monoxide is a tasteless, odorless gas. Exposure to high levels can result in severe injury or even death.

Q: How can I ask a question of the fire department?

A: If you have a question in regards to smoke and CO detectors, open burning, fire and medical safety, or anything else we may be able to assist you with, you are encouraged to call the Lawrence Town Hall at 920-336-9131 and leave a message with the receptionist. They will notify the Fire Chief to get in touch with you and answer any questions you may have. If you feel at any point it may be an emergency do not hesitate to call 911.

Q: Are Lawrence firefighters paid?

A: Yes, they are paid when they respond to a call or are training.  Our members carry pagers and work their regular jobs.  When the pager goes off, they respond to the call, perform their duties as a firefighter, and return to work.  The same holds true for calls at night, our members respond from home to the call.  Neither of our stations have any full-time staffing, although you can often times find our members at the station training or performing equipment maintenance.