Elkhorn’s firefighters say they raised red flags about safety and staffing. Days later, every member of the Elkhorn Area Fire Department got a four-page letter from City Hall telling them to route reporters to city officials, preserve every record tied to city business, and alert the mayor about any personal conversations that touch department matters. The department’s chief was placed on administrative assignment shortly after those media interviews.
What the City Letter Demands
The letter, signed by Mayor Tim Shiroda, tells employees they are “prohibited from deleting, altering, or otherwise modifying any records pertaining to city matters,” and warns that “failure to answer questions truthfully may be treated as insubordination” that could lead to “adverse inferences” or even termination, according to reporting by TMJ4. Staff members who speak publicly in a personal capacity are instructed to send a follow-up message to the mayor laying out who they talked to and what was said. TMJ4 reported that the on-the-record interview with reporters took place on April 6, and the chief was moved to administrative assignment four days later.
Budget Pressure and Facility Warnings
The new communication rules landed while the department is already under financial and infrastructure pressure. City documents show the city received a formal notice of termination from the Town of LaFayette, which shares in the Elkhorn Area Fire Department service agreement, a move that would shift hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating costs onto the city. Council materials also include a facility study by Bray Architects that flags multiple building systems for replacement, and elected officials have discussed hiring an outside staffing study to look at how to restore required shift minimums, according to the City of Elkhorn.
Staff Say Public Safety Is At Risk
Fire lieutenant Tristan McNamara and paramedic Jess Nicikowski told reporters they believe staffing shortages are eating away at response capacity and morale. “The people need to know what’s going on,” McNamara said. Nicikowski warned, “If the city doesn’t want to support us, then people are gonna get really tired of it, and they’re gonna leave,” as reported by TMJ4. Staff pointed to more simultaneous calls and continued gaps between current staffing and the 2020 referendum targets as signs the department is stretched thin.
Legal Implications
The letter’s disciplinary language, coupled with the city’s request to be told about private conversations, has stirred questions about whistleblower protections and public records rules for Wisconsin municipal employees. State guidance says public workers have whistleblower protections under Wis. Stat. §§ 230.80–230.89 and can pursue remedies through the state’s Equal Rights Division. Outcomes are fact specific and bound by strict timelines, and employees who fear retaliation are urged to document incidents and seek legal advice, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, which outlines protections and complaint deadlines for public employees.
What’s Next
The internal review, and any fallout for individual employees, will unfold as the council weighs budget choices, partner contracts and building fixes. For now, the clash between firefighters warning of thin staffing and a city hall trying to control the message is likely to drive public debate as the council and its advisory boards decide what comes next.
