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Frequently Asked Questions/Other Links

General Questions:

§ “Is there a charge for _____________?” The only service the fire department charges directly for is ambulance transports. There is no charge for an ambulance responding and checking over a patient that refuses to be transported to a hospital. Fire calls to the towns of Oconto and Little River are billed directly to the townships which, in turn, may be referred to the property owner.

Ambulance Questions:

§ “Whom do I speak with if I have an ambulance billing question?” The City Administrator’s Office handles ambulance billing.

§ “Why did a different ambulance service other than Oconto Fire Department transport my family member from the Bond Health Center Hospital to Green Bay?” The Bond Health Center decided that your family member required special care beyond what the Oconto Fire Department Ambulance Service is able to provide.

§ “Why did you pull over to the side of the road and meet with another ambulance service on the way to the hospital?” This is called a “paramedic intercept” and we request one when we feel that the patient could benefit from the skills and medications that paramedics are able to give. The receiving hospital can also request a paramedic intercept.

§ “What hospitals do you transport to?” Bond Health Center in Oconto, Community Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls, Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, St. Mary’s Hospital, Bellin Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital, and Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.

§ “Why did you transport my family member to ______ Hospital?” Whenever possible, the patient is allowed to choose their destination. In other situations, such as major trauma, medical guidelines dictate that the patient should be transported to a Level 1 or 2 Trauma Center (St. Vincent Hospital or Aurora BayCare Medical Center). Otherwise, if the patient is unresponsive, and no family members are present, the EMTs decide on the appropriate facility.

Fire Service Questions:

§ “How much does a burning permit cost?” Burning permits in the City of Oconto are free of charge and can be picked up from the fire department. Residents outside of the City of Oconto should contact their local fire warden for a burning permit.

§ “Can I get a burning permit for more than one day?” Yes, under most fire danger conditions, you can get a permit for up to three days in the City of Oconto.

§ “Do I need a burning permit for a warming fire in the City of Oconto?” No, permits are not needed for a campfire, warming, fire, or cooking fire. Fires must be kept small, away from structures or other ignition sources, and only clean wood (free of paint, sealers, or other chemicals) may be burned. The fire department has the authority to extinguish or order extinguished, any fire causing danger to lives, property, the environment, or creating a nuisance to the public in any way.

§ “Can I burn in a burn barrel?" No. Burn barrels are not permitted in the City of Oconto at any time. Open burning may be done on the ground or in a small pit or ring. The city ordinance requires piles not to exceed 4 feet in any direction horizontally, or 3 feet vertically.

§ “Do you fill swimming pools?” No. We cannot fill swimming pools because of liability reasons and we do not possess the equipment to meter the water usage from a fire hydrant. Contact the Department of Pubic Works for assistance.

§ “Do you remove animals from trees?” No. We do not risk the safety of our firefighters to remove pets from trees. Animals will come down on their own eventually.

Code Enforcement Questions:

§ “How much time do I have to correct the violation(s)?” It depends on the severity of the violation. In most cases, the inspector may not have time to recheck a violation until the next round of inspections. However, if the inspector decides that the violation is too dangerous to wait up to 6 months, he may order it to be corrected sooner, sometimes immediately.

§ “This violation has existed for ‘x’ many years and nothing was noted, why do I have to correct this now?” A different inspector may have come through your business and noticed something that another inspector may have missed. Additionally, the inspectors are always researching and training on fire prevention codes. He may learn of a violation more recently and then recognize it later in your business.

§ “Can I refuse a fire inspection?” We will do everything possible to schedule an inspection at a time most convenient for you, however, city ordinances and state administrative code provides for the authority of the fire chief or their deputy to inspect all public buildings and places of employment and order corrections.

§ “May I see the inspection record of a building?” Yes. Inspection records and fire incident reports are public record and can be viewed by anyone.