Frequently Asked Questions

Salt brine is a solution of salt (typically sodium chloride) and water. It has a freezing point lower than pure water and, as such, is a useful tool in reducing the adhesion of snow and ice to road surfaces. The freezing point of brine is a function of the salt being used in the bring (sodium chloride or calcium chloride) and the percentage by weight of the salt in the solution.

Rock salt, or solid salt, is simply crystals of sodium chloride. Until it has gone into solution - that is, until it has formed brine, will do nothing to stop snow from freezing to the pavement surface. Agencies that use rock salt in their winter maintenance activities are doing so to create brine on the road surface. Therefore brine is an integral and critical part of winter maintenance activities.

• Anti-icing is the proactive approach taken to decrease the likelihood of snow and ice bonding to the pavement surface. Anti-icing involved placing a layer of brine on the surface of the pavement before the winter storm has begun. This layer prevent snow and ice from freezing to the road.
• De-icing is the alternative to anti-icing which is when the snow has bonded to the road, to use pre-wet rock salt to break the bond between the snow and the pavement.

Studies have shown that anti-icing will achieve the same level of service on a road or highway using 1/4 to 1/5 the amount of salt used in de-icing. Typically, anti-icing is preformed using trucks carrying large tanks, which have pumps to spray the brine onto the pavement surfaces. In many places, lines or stripes of brine can be seen on a road before a given event.

At this time, not all streets will use the salt brine solution. These are the following streets that we will utilize the salt brine solution until we grow the program more:

1st District

• 10th Avenue
• College Avenue
• Fairview Avenue
• Hawthorne Avenue/E.W. Luther School
• Lake Drive
• Milwaukee Avenue
• N Chicago Avenue
• Rawson Avenue

2nd District

• 10th Avenue
• 5th Avenue
• 9th Avenue
• Columbia Avenue
• Fire Department
• Marion Avenue/Lakeview School
• Marquette Avenue
• Marquette Avenue
• Marshall Avenue to Water Utility
• Milwaukee Avenue

3rd District

• 15th Avenue
• 17th Avenue
• Blakewood Avenue/Blakewood School
• Columbia Avenue
• Drexel Boulevard
• Forest Hill Avenue
• Marquette Avenue
• Milwaukee Avenue
• Nicholson Avenue
• Police Department/City Hall
• S Chicago Avenue

4th District

• 15th Avenue / Middle-High School
• 17th Avenue
• College Avenue
• Milwaukee Avenue
• Nicholson Avenue
• Parkway Drive
• Rawson Avenue / Rawson School

A license is required for any person 18 or older who is serving or selling fermented malt beverages, intoxicating liquor or wine in the City of South Milwaukee.

1. Apply in person at City Hall (Hours 7:30 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday)
2. Complete and sign the application form
3. Show photo ID
4. Pay non-refundable fees of $50 (cash or check accepted)
5. Provide proof of Bartender License and/or Responsible Beverage Server Course, if required
6. Take the application to South Milwaukee Police Department for background check and applicant photograph (new applicants)

If your Bartender License for the City of South Milwaukee is current or expired within the past two licensing periods, you may download an application (PDF) and renew by mail, with check enclosed, or renew in person.

The licensing period is July 1 to June 30 each year. Licenses applied for mid-year do not receive prorated fees.

Applicants must submit proof that they completed a Responsible Beverage Server Course or held a Bartender/Operator license in Wisconsin within the past two years before a South Milwaukee bartender license will be issued (unless renewing a South Milwaukee Bartender License less than two years old).

A list of approved courses can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s website.

A two-week hold is placed on all bartender licenses while applicants’ names are posted and background checks are completed. Based on the background check findings, the applicant may be required to appear before the Legislation and Permits Committee of the Common Council before the license will be issued. The applicant will be notified if a meeting is required. If no meeting is required the license will be mailed to applicant after the two-week posting period.

Licenses will be mailed to the address on the application unless otherwise specified.

A Provisional License is a temporary license issued at the time of application, valid for up to 60 days, for applicants who have completed the Responsible Beverage Server course and/or hold a license in another Wisconsin municipality (and are able to provide proof of same) and require a license immediately. There is a fee of $15 for a Provisional License, which must be paid in addition to the regular Bartender License fee.

In most cases a Provisional License is not necessary, as a new employee will be working under the direct supervision of a licensed bartender during their first weeks of employment.

To report a fire hazard call 414-768-8191, you will be asked to give the street address and specific information regarding the hazard.

Please contact the City of South Milwaukee Police Department at 414-768-8060. You may also contact the Wisconsin Arson Tip Line at 800-362-3005. Callers on the Arson Tip Line will remain confidential and may be eligible for cash awards.

Fire station tours are conducted Monday through Fridays between 10 to 11:30 am or 1:30 to 4 pm. A tour can be scheduled by calling the fire station at 414-768-8191, Monday through Friday between 8 am to 5 pm.

The safe, effective, and efficient response to a structure fire involves the performance of many simultaneous fire ground tasks that would quickly overwhelm the available on-duty staffing of the South Milwaukee Fire Department (SMFD). Just a few of these tasks are: 

• Forcible Entry
• Hose Line Deployment
• Raising Ladders
• Search and Rescue
• Ventilation
• Water Supply

In order to perform them, additional assistance is automatically and immediately requested from our neighboring communities through a system of alert receivers located either in the dispatch centers or the individual fire stations. Without their help, the exceptional level of service provided by the SMFD would not be possible. In return, the SMFD provides to each of these agencies.

The South Milwaukee Fire Department (SMFD) maintains both a Basic Life Support (BLS) and an Advanced Life Support (ALS) level of emergency medical care. When the nature of the request for service requires response by a BLS ambulance, such as for general illness, sprains, strains, and most fractures, and other non-life-threatening, one ambulance responds to the scene. However, when the request is of a life-threatening nature, such difficulty breathing, chest pain, and serious injuries, two ambulances respond to provide sufficient personnel to perform any advanced life-saving measures that are necessary. When the on-scene patient care is completed, the appropriate ambulance, providing the necessary level of care, transports the patient to the hospital for definitive treatment.

South Milwaukee Fire Department has responded to hundreds of calls to investigate carbon monoxide. More and more the fire department is faced with calls from citizens requesting help concerning the possibility of carbon monoxide in their homes.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, deadly gas and is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in America. It is a by-product of combustion, present whenever fuel is burned. In a home it can be produced by appliances like your furnace, hot water heater, cloths dryer, stove or fireplace. If these appliances or their exhaust systems are malfunctioning, CO can build in the home to lethal levels. An automobile running in an attached garage can also poison occupants of the home.

Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that every household have at least one carbon monoxide detector. The South Milwaukee Fire Department also recommends buying only detectors that are UL listed and display a Blue Star seal authorized by the American Gas Association. These CO detectors feature a digital readout showing parts per million, (PPM) of CO and plug into your homes electrical outlets. The fire department has found that most false alarms of carbon monoxide detectors are caused by battery and sensor failures in battery (DC powered) CO detectors. For this reason the department recommends buying electric (AC powered) CO detectors. 

Now more than ever carbon monoxide detectors are reliable, affordable and can be as important to home safety as smoke detectors. For more information about carbon monoxide call the Poison Center at 800-815-8855.

Today, home fire protection is more affordable and more reliable than ever before. Quality smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and portable fire extinguishers are inexpensive and can save your life.

Smoke Detectors

It is the law in the State of Wisconsin, that homes have at least one working smoke detector. The law requires that there be at least one detector on every living level of the home. In most homes, this means at least 2 or 3 smoke detectors are required. If your detectors are not powered by your home electrical system, then they probably operate on batteries. It is recommended that the smoke detector battery be changed once a year and that the unit be cleaned, by lightly dusting or vacuuming it. Smoke detectors also wear out and should be replaced after 10 years of service.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The South Milwaukee Fire Department also recommends that every household has at least one carbon monoxide detector. We suggest buying only detectors that are UL listed and display a Blue Star seal authorized by the American Gas Association. These CO detectors feature a digital readout showing parts per million, (PPM of CO) and plug into your homes electrical outlets. The fire department has found that most false alarms of carbon monoxide detectors are caused by battery and sensor failures by (DC powered) CO detectors. For this reason the department recommends buying electric (AC powered) CO detectors. Now more than ever carbon monoxide detectors are reliable, affordable and can be as important to home safety as smoke detectors.

Portable Extinguishers

It is a good idea to have a portable extinguisher near the primary exits of your home. Portable extinguishers are to be used on small fires, usually no larger than a small trash can fire and only after the fire department has been called and the occupants have started exiting the building.

There are four classes A, B, C, and D. Each is used for different kinds of fires. It is necessary to use the correct type because using the wrong model may further excite the flames, spread the fire and increase the level of danger. The classes are used for:

• Class A is used on ordinary combustibles, like paper and wood
• Class B is used on fires fueled by flammable liquids and gases
• Class C is used for electrical fires
• Class D is used for fires involving combustible metals (industrial)

It’s a good idea to have at least one on each floor of your home or office installed near the exits and safely away from potential fire hazards like stoves and fireplaces. Also, keep one in your garage and one in your car, stored under the seat.

Ideally, you should inspect all units once a month to check their pressure gauges. Look for damage, corrosion or tampering. Make sure they are easy to remove from hooks or wall brackets. Establish a maintenance schedule and keep records of your inspections.

When deciding to fight a fire it is important to be sure that:

• Someone has dialed 911
• Everyone is out of the building or in the process of leaving
• There is a clear exit nearby
• The correct type of fire extinguisher is within reach

PASS is an easy way to remember the basic steps for using a fire extinguisher. It stands for:

• Pull the pin or lever
• Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames while holding the extinguisher vertically
• Squeeze the handle to discharge agent
• Sweep rapidly side-to-side at least six inches past the edges of the flames

• Mpox does not easily spread from person to person. It is spreading through close, intimate skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual:
  • Direct contact with skin rashes or bodily fluids of an infected person
  • Sharing items such as clothing or bedding of an infected person
  • Continued exposure to an infected person's respiratory secretions

• A rash that may also look like pimples or blisters, and become painful or itchy
• Fever
• Chills
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Respiratory symptoms (sore throat, nasal congestion, cough)

Symptoms will develop within 3 weeks of exposure. Once symptoms have developed, the illness can last between 2-4 weeks.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer
• Ask your sexual partners if they have a rash or other Mpox related symptoms
• Avoid skin-to-skin contact, including sex and intimate touch, with someone who is experiencing Mpox symptoms
• Do not share items such as bedding, clothes, towels or utensils with someone that has Mpox

Please contact your healthcare provider and notify them of your symptoms. Request to be tested for Mpox, stay home and away from others and avoid close physical contact with others until your healthcare provider can examine you.