(Wahpeton)– The city of Wahpeton is shopping around for fire protection.
The city currently contracts with Milford. Milford Fire Chief Don Eckard says Wahpeton pays about 25 percent of the Milford Fire Department’s annual budget. Eckard says the formula is based on structure value.
But Wahpeton Mayor Mike McDonough says that isn’t the issue. He says the town feels it was left out of discussions Milford had for a new fire station and how it was going to be funded. As a result, the city has approached the Arnolds Park-Okoboji and Spirit Lake Fire Departments. But boards on both departments have turned down Wahpeton’s request for service…siting concern over distance.
Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire Chief Steve Dulin says the issue, combined with a shortage in volunteers his department is expecting in the future, could open the door to talks of a county-wide or regional fire department being established. But Eckard and Lynn Wallace, a member of the Spirit Lake Community Fire Department’s Board of trustees, say they have waiting lists of people wanting to serve.
None-the-less, Dulin says he may ask the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors to look into some sort of a lakes area or countywide department after the first of the year.
