Frequently Asked Questions - Oshkosh Fire Department

EMSMC at (800) 304-3989 for ambulance billing questions. All invoices will have a return mailing address of PO Box 547, Wheeling IL 60090-0547. Federal Health Information Privacy rules (HIPAA) prohibit the Fire Department from sharing any information related to medical care, including billing. EMSMC is HIPAA compliant.

Falls are the most common type of call that the Oshkosh Fire Department responds to. These falls can result in very serious injuries and are frequently preventable. The removal of rugs and clutter, and the installation of hand rails can help to prevent falls.
For more information and resources, check out the Oshkosh Fall Prevention website.
If you call the ambulance because you fell, the ambulance crew will help to enroll you in the Falls Prevention Program.

Safely move to the right side of the roadway and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Emergency vehicles frequently travel together- make sure all of them have passed before reentering the roadway.

When should I call 911?

You should call 911 any time you feel you have an emergency. If you have concerns that are not emergent in nature, contact the City of Oshkosh Fire Department at (920) 236-5240 during business hours.

Where do I get a burn permit?

Click here to obtain a burn permit online. To apply in person go to City Hall Collections 215 Church Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54903 anytime Monday- Friday between 8-4:30 pm.

For assistance with car seats please contact Fox Valley Safe Kids at https://www.safekids.org/coalition/safe-kids-fox-valley

The Fire Trucks are staffed by paramedics. The trucks are frequently able to arrive more quickly than ambulances and initiate critical care.
There are two paramedics on each ambulance. Many Advanced Life Support procedures require two or more paramedics to perform. The crew of the truck assists with these procedures, or drives the ambulance to the hospital while the ambulance crew cares for the patient.
Patients may fall and become stuck in awkward locations. They may be in the upper level of a home and unable to walk down stairs. Some patients are very heavy and unable to walk. All of these situations require extra personnel to assist with safe patient movement.

City of Oshkosh Fire Department crews work 24 hour shifts. They are either on calls or at the Fire Station for the entire shift and obviously need to eat sometime. Crews go to local grocery stores to buy meals for the day (crews pay for their own meals, not the City). This allows them to make healthier meal choices than most take-out or delivery food. Even when they are at the store, crews are still on duty. They will immediately drop their shopping and respond when called.

The City of Oshkosh Fire Department, like most Fire Departments, has Mutual Aid Agreements. This means that Fire Departments in neighboring communities send trucks to help out when there is a major incident in the City, such as a large fire, that requires more resources than the OFD has available. In return, the City sends trucks to help our neighbors when they have major incidents.

Ambulance crews will transport patients to the local hospital of their choice.
Local hospitals are:
- Aurora Oshkosh Medical Center
- Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh
- Berlin Memorial
- Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh
- Ripon Medical Center
- ThedaCare Regional Medical Center – Appleton
- St. Agnes Fond du Lac
- Ascension NE Wisconsin – St. Elizabeth Campus
- ThedaCare Regional Medical Center – Neenah
Ambulance crews may recommend a particular hospital based on the care that the patient needs, but the patient has the right to choose. If the patient is unable to communicate, paramedics will transport to the closest hospital or the hospital which is able to provide the required medical care.

All Firefighters must complete State of Wisconsin Firefighter Certification training which is available through the Wisconsin Technical College System. Volunteer or paid-on-call Departments (usually found in smaller communities) frequently sponsor this training for their recruits. Individuals seeking career (full time) Firefighter positions may complete this training as part of a 2 year degree program. Individual Fire Departments may have their own unique set of Qualifications which can include Emergency Medical Technician certification or Equipment Operator certification.
It is common for career Fire Departments to hire a group of Firefighters at one time in a single hiring process. This usually occurs once annually. Volunteer and paid-on-call Fire Departments tend to seek recruits at all times. Many career Firefighters start out working for volunteer or paid-on-call Departments.