Wausau Fire Department to officially transfer to county Oct. 1

Washington County will soon assume all operations of the Wausau Fire Department.

Commissioners approved the request to execute final documents for the acquisition in an emergency meeting held August 14.

The Town of Wausau voted earlier this year to transfer the fire department to the county, with the county assuming fire protection responsibilities for the town effective October 1. 

With this approval, Washington County will proceed with onboarding current department staff and transition the facility to being a county-run department. 

As a part of this transfer, the county will assume ownership of the Wausau Fire Station, which saw construction completed in 2022, as well as the town’s existing balance on a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan for the purchase of fire equipment totaling approximately $38,456.