There’s a new volunteer fire department taking shape in Door County.
A crowd was on hand Thursday evening as the Nasewaupee Town Board voted to form a new fire department for the town.
The department would become operational in September 2023. The town’s fire protection would continue to come from the Southern Door Fire Department until next fall.
The Village of Forestville, the Town of Forestville, and the Town of Clay Banks make up the current fire department coverage area along with Nasewaupee. The department was organized in 1980.
Nasewaupee Town Chairman Steve Sullivan said Thursday the majority of fire calls and emergency medical responses by the Southern Door department are to addresses in his community.
Cost savings are not the main reason for the split.
“It’s been coming on for about 15 years,” Sullivan said.
“We think we can save some dollars, but we also expect more members to join the new department,” he said.
The official notice of termination of the agreement among the four communities will be delivered at the annual meeting of the Southern Door Fire Department Board of Directors in September.
Nasewaupee has received appraisals of equipment the new department will receive and would also assume ownership of the Southern Door’s North Station at the intersection of Door County Highways C and PD, across C from the Cherryland Airport.
The Southern Door’s remaining station is located in the Village of Forestville at the intersection of Wisconsin Highway and Door County Highway J.