Oshkosh to stop providing EMS services to outside communities

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— The City of Oshkosh will end the contract to provide EMS services to seven of the 10 outside municipalities it currently serves. It will continue the contract for three other municipalities through the end of 2026.

The vote was 7-0 by the Oshkosh Common Council to discontinue providing EMS services to the Village of Winneconne, the towns of Winneconne, Rustford, Poygan, Utica, Omro, and the City of Omro. Oshkosh will continue providing services to Algoma, Black Wolf, and Nekimi until the end of 2026. 

In a previous Common Council meeting, Oshkosh City Manager Rebecca Grill stated that the issue is not providing services for nearby communities; the problem is that the city cannot find the personnel to staff the ambulances needed to provide emergency services to all. 

The Common Council voted at its July 8 meeting to discontinue the service to outlying towns without discussion. However, at a previous Common Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Joe Stephenson said a lack of staffing is the issue.

“I really want to stress that this, for me and I know for my fellow Council members, is not an economics issue. It’s not a money issue. This really is a staffing issue and an issue for our citizens,” Stephenson said. “We want to make sure they have the best service possible. We want to make sure our staff is happy to be here and is not stretched too thin.” 

Last year, Oshkosh decided to add another ambulance to its fleet, but has not been able to find applicants to staff that ambulance.