Kenosha Reporter

The Village of Somers has released an Options Assessment report highlighting the need to increase public safety staffing in response to growing demands for emergency medical services and the need for proactive policing. The report, presented at the September 16 Village Board meeting, details current challenges facing law enforcement and fire & rescue services in the community.

According to Ben Andersen, Fire Chief of Somers Fire & Rescue Department, "From 2017 to 2024, we have seen a nearly 320 percent increase in calls for service with a record-high 1,662 calls last year." The department currently operates with limited full-time personnel each day. As a result, staff often must travel from their homes or other workplaces when an emergency call comes in, which can delay response times.

Chief Andersen explained that most calls are medical emergencies: "Over two-thirds of our calls for service in 2024 were medical in nature," he said. "With our current, relatively low full-time staffing levels, we are only able to send out two ambulances at once. As the need for emergency medical services continues to rise, Somers Fire & Rescue needs to be able to send all three of our ambulances out at once."

The department is currently certified only at an Intermediate level; this limits its ability to provide certain medicines and advanced procedures that paramedics can offer. Although Somers attracts many aspiring Firefighter/Paramedics who want to train and work there, it lacks enough positions to hire them as full-time staff after training. Chief Andersen noted high turnover: "Those of us at the Somers Fire & Rescue Department pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of service," he said. "We consistently attract an incredible pool of talent, however, with limited full-time positions available, our staff turnover is high. At least 58 individuals have left Somers since 2017 for stable, family-supporting, full-time careers at departments in other communities."

Law enforcement resources are also stretched as road construction projects such as the expansion of Highway S (Burlington Road) have led to increased concerns about traffic violations and accidents. In 2024 alone deputies responded to over ten thousand calls and issued more than twenty-five hundred citations—including over five hundred related to revoked or suspended licenses and four hundred twenty for speeding.

To address these issues and improve public safety outcomes—including enabling all three ambulances to operate simultaneously and increasing law enforcement presence—the Village recommends funding eight new full-time Firefighter/Paramedic positions and one additional Sheriff's deputy assigned specifically to Somers.

In coming weeks residents will receive a survey seeking input on preferred approaches for improving emergency services and securing necessary funding. Chief Andersen stated: "The Village of Somers recognizes the importance of providing high-quality emergency services to residents. Future discussions will center on the community's preferences about how to approach these services and secure the funding necessary to support those preferences."

The process includes assessing various funding options—potentially including a referendum—followed by community dialogue through surveys this fall. If a referendum emerges as the best option after public input is gathered, further education efforts will inform residents about its impacts on local services and costs.

Residents can find updates online or contact Chief Ben Andersen or Village Administrator Jim Hurley by phone or email with questions about next steps.