By Audrey Korte
The Chippewa Herald
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. 鈥� Eagle Point Fire and EMS Chief Rocky Berg was terminated Wednesday by the Eagle Point Town Board, and some other fire department members resigned.
The board terminated Berg due to issues with the fire department, including the loss of the EMS service last spring and issues with the licensing of a fire department employee who had been previously terminated.
Eagle Point Town Board Chair Chuck Hebert confirmed the board had asked Berg to step down during a meeting on Wednesday evening.
Hebert did not say how many members of the department resigned Wednesday night.
鈥淪ometimes things have to change, you know, at the leadership level but it has nothing to do as far as anything personal against anybody,鈥� Hebert said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about trying to help and serve the community the best way that we feel like that has to happen.鈥�
Berg could not be reached for comment.
Eagle Point Emergency Services is located at 12812 Highway 124 in Chippewa Falls.
Hebert said issues with the fire department have been ongoing.
鈥淲e just had some issues come up. We鈥檝e had issues with our fire department going back to before I got on the board,鈥� Hebert said Thursday. 鈥淲e鈥檝e tried numerous times to work with the fire chief basically on communication.鈥�
Hebert said the town lost its EMS service last spring.
鈥淚 guess I should say with these issues that if the management was right, then taking care of it wouldn鈥檛 have gotten to where it got to,鈥� Hebert said. 鈥淲e tried again this year. We worked with the attorney, we set up the bylaws, you know, to be followed. They haven鈥檛 been followed.鈥�
In February 2023, the Eagle Point EMS Department was unable to offer services for about five weeks. The EMS service was suspended on Feb. 16, 2023. The agency was recertified at the end of March 2023.
鈥淲e tried to work on communication. It just broke down and would not get back and we gave him (Berg) numerous opportunities,鈥� Hebert said.
Hebert said another issue came up Wednesday with licensing for a fire department employee that in the past had been terminated.
鈥淎nd they鈥檙e somehow back, they got back on the roster,鈥� Hebert said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care about how that happened. But it鈥檚 amazing how that one person is back on the roster even though they weren鈥檛 an employee with the department anymore.鈥�
Hebert would not release the name of the person who had been previously terminated and was then rehired.
鈥淚t puts the town at liability because the town is responsible because they鈥檙e responding under the town鈥檚 direction. So the person was let go,鈥� Hebert said.
As far as service for the town of Eagle Point, Hebert said 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting that all taken care of.鈥�
Hebert said the board is taking action to serve the residents of Eagle Point.
鈥淲e want to give them the service that they need and we don鈥檛 want to be putting the town in jeopardy liability wise with the department,鈥� Hebert said.
Hebert said he is grateful to members of the fire department who have chosen to stay.
鈥淲e were happy with the members that are staying on. We鈥檙e grateful to them. I know there鈥檚 frustration and I understand that, I get it. I鈥檓 not happy with what happened either. But hopefully with you know, a little bit of time here just to kind of let things sink in, some of those members will come back because they鈥檙e good members. They鈥檙e good people,鈥� Hebert said.
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