MILWAUKEE — The Republican National Convention (RNC) is just days away and public safety entities are busy preparing.
The Milwaukee Fire Department is getting help from 14 other Milwaukee County fire departments, including: Wauwatosa, West Allis, Greenfield, Greendale, Franklin, Cudahy, South Milwaukee, St. Francis, Hales Corners, North Shore (Glendale, Brown Deer, Whitefish Bay, Bayside, Fox Point, Shorewood, River Hills), Milwaukee County Airport FD, and the 128th Air Refueling Wing FD.
They’ve all been planning and training for months in anticipation of the RNC, which is expected to draw at least 50,000 attendees, as well as protestors.
Wauwatosa Fire Chief Jim Case said his team works with Milwaukee Fire on a regular basis, but the magnitude of this event requires a whole new level of collaboration.
“It’s an exciting time,” Chief Case said. “This is a very large event, to be able to be asked to assist with that is humbling. It’s also a great opportunity to highlight the work, not only that we are doing in the planning leading up to this event, but really that work that all the firefighters and personnel are doing on the streets during this event.”
It’s not just firefighters and paramedics who will be working hard. Case said he is one of the many Milwaukee County fire chiefs will be assisting with incident command.
Milwaukee Fire Deputy Chief Darin Peterburs is the head of the RNC division for Milwaukee Fire Department. He has led the charge on planning and logistics and said working on such a large-scale operation will benefit local public safety organizations far past the RNC.
“The planning that we have done and the positive relationships we have built, not only for the RNC, but that will last even after the RNC leaves town. They will benefit the city of Milwaukee and the county for years to come,” Peterburs said.
Police, firefighters and paramedics who will work the RNC have been operating out of a place they call the RNC Logistics Operations Center. It’s where all first responder equipment and supplies for the event are stored, like medical supplies, first aid kits, and bike helmets. Dozens of police, firefighters and paramedics will be on bikes downtown during the RNC, for easier access to help people in cases of emergency.
“Right now, we are making the final push to get all of the equipment ready and get all of our rigs filled with all of that equipment so we can respond appropriately during the RNC,” Peterburs said.
The federal government provided grants for the Milwaukee Fire Department to buy new fire trucks, an ambulance, nine red SUVs and additional safety gear to perform their duties during the convention. The department also gets to keep all of the new gear.
“In order to cover everything we needed within the RNC zone, we had to build a brand new fleet or department, if you will,” Peterburs said. “So, we did that by procuring all of the stuff that we have here.”
The new fire trucks and EMS vehicles will be stationed inside the security perimeters at all times during the RNC. Deputy Chief Peterburs said having the additional equipment and supplies ensures that staffing and response times at fire stations throughout the city will not be negatively affected during the convention.
“We are going to have all the same resources available in the RNC zone as we do throughout the rest of the city and county,” Peterburs said.
The convention kicks off Monday, July 15 and goes through Thursday, July 18.