Police and Fire Commission Meeting – November 19, 2025

The Fitchburg Police and Fire Commission met on November 19, 2025, to receive staffing reports from both departments, approve personnel actions in closed session, and adopt new pre‑employment testing requirements for firefighter hires.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: The commission approved the minutes from the October 15, 2025 meeting by voice vote with no corrections.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public were present for non‑agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Police Staffing Report: Chief Morales reported four officer vacancies, with a hiring process scheduled for December 4, 2025 involving lateral transfers. No officers were in field training, the academy, or on leave. The monthly activity report showed a decrease in citizen‑generated calls (1,000) and officer‑initiated calls (981), a 38‑call decrease from the previous month. Burglaries (5 reported, all attempts) were concentrated in the northwest end, with attempts through windows. No robberies were reported for October; three firearms were seized. Year‑to‑date part‑one crime was down 40%, aggravated assaults down 51%, domestic violence incidents down 30% (8 in October). Traffic crashes decreased 4%. Chief Morales noted a focus on domestic violence and credited the DV team for progress. In response to a question, a detective explained partnerships with Unitas and crisis lines, and the social worker providing phones to victims.
• Fire Staffing Report: Chief Europe reported an 11% increase in call volume for October, with an expected year‑end increase of 3–5%. Inspections were proceeding well; false alarms were reduced by over 30% year‑over‑year. One firefighter resigned; a firefighter was promoted from intern to career status. Overtime dropped significantly. Four mandates occurred in October.
• New Pre‑Employment Testing Requirements (Item 6b): Chief Europe requested approval to require CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test), psychological, and drug tests for all future POX (career) firefighter hires after January 1, 2026, and CPAT and drug tests (but not psychological) for fire interns after that date. He explained the CPAT is an internationally recognized entry‑level fitness test, and the medical/psychological screens help identify unknown health risks. Psychological testing was excluded for interns due to their young age (18–19) and the ability to vet them during the extended internship. The effective date of January 1 aligns with the new budget. The motion passed unanimously.
• Training Center Announcement: Chief Europe announced the purchase of a shipping container to be converted into a training center, shared with Dane County Sheriffs, BD, and EMS. The facility is expected to positively impact the city’s ISO rating and home insurance rates.

Key Outcomes

• Police Personnel Actions (Closed Session): The commission voted to remove probationary status for Officer Erica Broad, promote Officer Spangler to sergeant, and place Officer Fennerton on a sergeant eligibility list.
• Fire Personnel Actions (Closed Session): The commission authorized the fire chief to make conditional offers of employment to candidates for POX firefighters and for a POX battalion chief, approved an eligibility list for battalion chief, authorized the start of a lieutenant promotional process, and authorized a fire science resident intern recruitment process.
• Approval of Testing Requirements: Approved CPAT, psychological, and drug tests for POX firefighters and CPAT and drug tests for fire interns effective January 1, 2026.