The city started negotiations to enter into an inter-governmental agreement with Van Buren Township. Under the agreement, Belleville's only firehouse would shut down and the town of nearly 4,000 residents would rely on services from Van Buren Township.

"I'm concerned jumping into an agreement like this is going to leave the community with a hole," Rix said.

His sentiments were echoed by many who question what the outside fire services would provide for Belleville residents.

Some of those changes have already occurred, others go into effect today and the rest happen on Dec. 18.

As part of these moves, 75 positions will be eliminated, including 45 firefighters, 15 heavy equipment operators, 10 lieutenants and five captains.

Ashley Luthern reported in the Journal Sentinel that Milwaukee Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing said the changes, "will add 5 to 25 seconds to response times, which would remain under the national average ... The department's current average time for an engine to arrive on scene is 2 minutes and 50 seconds."

One of Lake Country’s first-in fire trucks is on the sidelines after being damaged in an incident Sunday that could have been much worse.

After attending a single vehicle accident southbound on the new stretch of Highway 97 near Oyama, a Lake Country fire engine stayed behind, closing off two lanes of the three-lane stretch of highway, as RCMP and members of the public remained at the accident scene.

However according to the Lake Country Fire Department, a pick-up truck ignored its members who were doing traffic control and drove through the lanes that were closed, attempting to cut back into the fast lane, near the accident scene.