By John Gittings
WiscNews
PORTAGE, Wis. — Pardeeville will now get EMS services from its county’s seat, a year after closing its own department.
The Portage Common Council approved extending Portage Fire Rescue medical services to the village during its Nov. 13 meeting. Portage and Pardeeville’s five-year contract will require the village to pay the city $300,000 next year, gradually increasing to $364,652 by 2030, for EMS coverage.
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Rio Fire and EMS served Pardeeville this year after its department dissolved at the end of 2024 following legal issues and debt.
In October, the Portage Common Council renewed one-year contracts for Portage Fire Rescue services in the towns of Marcellon and Wyocena. Marcellon is paying Portage $52,500 in 2026 and $55,125 in 2027 for EMS service, while Wyocena is paying $46 per capita in 2026 and $48.30 per capita in 2027.
“We actually are covering up to the west side of Pardeeville, north of Pardeeville, and the east side of Pardeeville,” Portage Fire Rescue Chief Troy Haase said. “We are covering all around them at this point now. It doesn’t change a lot for us.”
Portage EMS Service Chief Cody Doucette said that Portage paramedics already have helped Rio staff with calls that required more personnel.
“For the really severe calls, we were already there,” Doucette said. “We’re just picking up more call volume.”
Pardeeville averages between 120-150 medical emergency calls a year, according to Haase.
The former Pardeeville District Ambulance Service covered Marcellon and the town of Wyocena prior to its dissolution. Portage and Pardeeville had shared the town of Fort Winnebago, which is now entirely covered by Portage. Rio serves part of the town of Wyocena as well.
Pardeeville dissolved the EMS service after being around $885,000 in debt, including money owed to the Internal Revenue Service and the state. Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was conducting investigations of fraud and misconduct by past employees at the time of the dissolution as well.
With Pardeeville District Ambulance Service $885,000 in debt, the village looks to Rio for EMS service
The Pardeeville District Ambulance Service is about $885,000 in debt, which includes money it owes to the IRS and state, Pardeeville Village President Michael Haynes said.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Captain David Clark did not immediately respond to a request for information about the findings of the investigations. In December 2024, Clark told the Portage Daily Register that the department was investigating Pardeeville’s former service but declined to elaborate.
Portage Fire Rescue added EMS service last year after city voters approved a February 2024 referendum adding $1.5 million to city tax revenues. Haase clarified that the added EMS service is contracted and that Portage taxes are not covering the outlying communities.
Other municipalities are paying for their own areas, he said.
He and Doucette also said that Portage Fire Rescue plans to hire another paramedic with the extended coverage, paid for in part by the contracts with other municipalities.
Portage’s coverage expansion is part of statewide initiatives to regionalize EMS coverage, according to Haase, who said that larger departments in rural areas, such as Portage, are increasing duties in smaller villages and townships.
Portage residents vote over 70% in favor of Fire Department-based EMS service
Nearly 72% of voters approved a referendum Tuesday allowing the city to shift control of its EMS service from its current provider to the Portage Fire Department.
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