1957 to 1971

1957 

After discussions of the Town of Menomonee possibly merging with the Village of Lannon, the Village of Menomonee Falls, or the City of Milwaukee, the was Town of Menomonee and Village of Menomonee Falls became the Village that we know today.

1958

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The Village's 1958 Annual Report said of the newly combined Village and Town of Menomonee; "It's a BIG BABY to handle now." The fire department's section of the report was a few paragraphs!

The Department answered 37 calls and reported $7,200 in fire losses. The Rescue Squad responded to 19 emergency calls.

With the continued growth of the village and annexation of the town, the fire department was feeling the demands for services. In 1958 the Chief was expressing the fast-approaching need for another fire station and full-time person.

1959 Fire Districts

With the making of the Company to a Department of the Village, there were overtures for the consolidation of the town with the village. The spring of 1958 saw the annexation of fourteen square miles into the village. In cooperation with Butler and Lannon districts were established for fire response in the newly enlarged village. 

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Butler was to handle all fire and rescue runs south of the railroad tracks from 124th Street west to the 17200 block. 

The Lannon Fire Department district covered from W17200 to W22000 south of the railroad tracks and from County Line Road south to the tracks from W20400 to W22000. 



By December of 1958 contracts had been agreed upon for fire protection with the Village of Butler and the Village of Lannon. Menomonee Falls would pay Lannon the sum of $4000 for each year the contract was in effect and $150 per hour for each hour the firefighters were called out. 

Butler would receive $5000 per year and $75 per hour. The Butler Contract would remain in effect until the village opened fire station #2 on Silver Spring Drive, January 1, 1975. Both contracts contained escalator clauses providing for an increase in the  minimum fee in future years, proportioned to any increase in the equalized assessed valuation of the real estate in the area greater than $500,000. 

1960-Village Population is 18,276

There were 56 fire calls in the Village with losses reported at $17,695. With the three fire districts, Lannon responded to 13 of these incidents, Butler to 7 and Menomonee Falls to the remaining 36 reported fires.

Menomonee Falls also responded to 52 Rescue Squad calls. Any of these the required a patient to be transported to the hospital would have received a ride in a private ambulance.

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1960 VMF Annual Report-01

1962

It was in 1962 when the Fire Insurance Rating Bureau made a report based upon an inspection of October 1961. The rating of the village was dropped from a Class 6 to the "next poorer," Class 7. The recommendation was made that a full-time fire department be employed by the village, and the Department's two pumpers be replaced with larger, more modern equipment. It was also noted that 22.7% of the water hydrants inspected failed to yield a flow of water.

1967-Full-Time Fire Chief?

A special meeting of the Menomonee Falls Fire Department and village Board on January 10, 1967 discussed the future plans regarding the fire department. The issue of a full-time chief was discussed and it was mentioned money was in the budget for the position, so the go ahead was given. Applications were to be turned in by May 10, 1967. Every effort was to be made to hire from inside the Department and applications would be opened again in fall, after reevaluating the salary.

1970-Village Population is 31,697

1971-The Last of the Volunteer Chiefs

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After almost 80 years of the volunteer Chiefs, Robert Maas, the 20th Chief of the Department, retired and the MFFD was about to have a new Full-Time Chief!