Monday, October 8, 2012
A chimney fire Saturday afternoon on S. Chicago Road did not cause injuries, but did lead to damage to the home.
A chimney fire Saturday afternoon in the 8900 block of S. Chicago Road caused damage to the roof of the home. The homeowner, a 60-year-old man, told police he was burning some paper and twigs in the fireplace about noon, according to an Oak Creek police report. He later went outside with his dog and noticed smoke coming from the chimney, but didn't think anything of it, according to the report. However, when he took a second dog outside, he saw smoke coming from the roof. That's when he called 911 and alerted his family to leave the house. A fire had started in the chimney near the attic area of the home, police said. Oak Creek firefighters arrived about 12:45 p.m. and reported heavy smoke and visible flames. The American Red Cross and We …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Accreditation would help department be more efficient, officials say.
Ongoing city development and increased budget pressure are two reasons why the Oak Creek Fire Department is considering accreditation, according to Fire Chief Tom Rosandich. Rosandich spoke to the Oak Creek Common Council Tuesday night about the department pursuing accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Working toward accreditation would be a long-term but worthwhile project for the department. “Under the stigma of budgets that have to be more effective these days, one of the avenues that is open to us and would be a good course of action is accreditation,” Rosandich said. The accreditation process includes a period of self-assessment, the benefits of which …
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The vice presidential candidate used his visit to Oak Creek Tuesday on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to thank firefighters for putting their lives on the line.
Vice presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan had lunch at Oak Creek Fire Department headquarters Tuesday to mark the anniversary of 9/11, according to media reports. Ryan was back in his home district exactly one month after he was named Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate. Ryan thanked Oak Creek first responders for regularly putting their lives on the line and remembered those who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to a pool report. While in the Milwaukee area, Ryan also visited with members of the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard. Video of the GOP VP candidate's visit, and more on what Ryan said to firefighters and members of the military who served in Iraq …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
No one was injured in an accident that occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Oak Creek police and fire departments were on the scene of a rollover crash at the intersection of Puetz and Howell avenues Tuesday afternoon. Battalion Chief Joe Pulvermacher said paramedics evaluated vehicle occupants but none had to be taken to the hospital. The crash appeared to involve an eastbound vehicle that flipped over in the left-hand turn lane. The accident also took out a traffic signal. The cause was not immediately known.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Public Policy Forum President Rob Henken spoke to the Oak Creek Common Council on Tuesday about his organization's report regarding fire department consolidation in southern Milwaukee County.
Southern Milwaukee County communities leery about combining fire departments could still benefit from smaller changes that would increase efficiencies and save money. That was one message Public Policy Forum President Rob Henken conveyed when he spoke Tuesday to the Oak Creek Common Council. It was an in-depth look at the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization's report that studied consolidation within the Oak Creek, Franklin, Hales Corners, Greendale and Greenfield fire departments. Henken noted the communities already practice a lot of mutual aid, not only in responding to incidents but in training, communications and some purchasing. But there could be more. The Public Policy Forum found the vehicle fleet between the five departments, in …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Oak Creek Common Council tonight will hear from the president of the Public Policy Forum about fire department consolidation.
The president of the Public Policy Forum will speak to the Oak Creek Common Council tonight about his organization's study on consolidating southern Milwaukee County fire departments. Rob Henken is scheduled to give a presentation and take questions at 6 p.m. in the council chambers, 8640 S. Howell Ave. It figures to be the most in-depth discussion to date on the Public Policy Forum's report that recommends phasing in a consolidation of the Oak Creek, Franklin, Hales Corners, Greendale and Greenfield fire departments. The study came after about a year of research, involving fire chiefs and administrators from all five communities who explored the range of consolidation possibilities. Local officials last year said they wanted to study …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The former mayoral candidate and current school board member, who owns the property that caught fire during the July 4 fireworks, said he plans to file a claim with the city.
The property that caught fire during the Oak Creek Fourth of July fireworks display is owned by former mayoral candidate Mark Verhalen, who said Monday he is still assessing the damage. Verhalen said he plans to file a claim with the city for his losses, though he does not anticipate it being a huge amount and hopes he can work with Oak Creek to reach an agreement. Verhalen farms in the area that caught on fire, but he wasn't yet sure of the extent of any crop damage. The Oak Creek Fire Department said it contained the fire to about a one-acre area just east of East Middle School, where the fireworks were shot off. The blaze put a halt to the fireworks about 10 minutes into the display. Fire officials said they worked with Verhalen and the…
Monday, July 9, 2012
Fire comes in the midst of drought-like conditions and just two days after a grass fire stopped the Oak Creek fireworks display.
The Oak Creek Fire Department put out a grass fire Friday afternoon at Edgerton Contractors, 545 W. Ryan Road, as the city continues to deal with drought-like conditions. The business is next to the Oak Creek police station, 301 W. Ryan Road. A police sergeant noticed the fire and called the fire department about 1:35 p.m., according to the department logbook. Damage from the fire, which covered about a 20-yard area, was limited to just the grass. The cause was not immediately clear. The fire came just two days after a grass fire put a halt to the Oak Creek fireworks display and one day after the city enacted a temporary burning ban because of the dry conditions. According to the logbook, police visited seven homes between Thursday, when…
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Oak Creek Fire Department contained the fire to a one-acre spot east of East Middle School, where the fireworks were shot off.
The Oak Creek fireworks display was halted Wednesday night due to a grass fire just east of where the fireworks were shot off. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to put out the fire, which was contained to about a one-acre piece of land near East Middle School, Assistant Fire Chief Rodney Palmer said. The fire is officially under investigation, but it's believed to be caused by the fireworks, he said. The extremely dry conditions caused several communities to cancel their fireworks, but Oak Creek went ahead under the fire department's close watch. The department had prepared for such a scenario in the week leading up to July 4, working with the property owner and the Oak Creek-Franklin School District, which watered the area heavily to …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Greendale official says village is open to some fire-services sharing, but is less enthusiastic about a full consolidation of five area departments.
Full fire department consolidation between five southern Milwaukee County communities will not happen if Greendale has something to say about it. Discussions on fire department consolidation have continued since a report about the cost-benefits of consolidation was released in late May. The Public Policy Forum report identifies ways in which fire departments in Greenfield, Greendale, Hales Corners, Oak Creek and Franklin could consolidate and save money — including combining all five into one. But Greendale Village Manager Todd Michaels told Patch officials aren't too keen about a merger. "All I could say right now is that we are still reviewing the study," he said. "We are very open to some of the concepts in there and more hesitant in …
carolo
4:33 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
You got that right. Plus they are Union workers. And.... Did they vote for the Job Bills? Did they vote for Jobs for returning Veterans? Did they vote to end Medicare and Social Security? Did their refusal to vote cause our credit rating to go down? Did they vote to close Health Clinics for women? Did they vote to get rid of Unions? Did they vote to end even minimum wage? Did they vote to give … more ›