Dear Neighbor,
We are writing you today because we need your assistance. It has been a long time since we have needed to reach out to the community to raise funds for our fire company, over 20 years actually!
However, because of the increased time required for training, ever increasing call volumes and reduced numbers of active volunteers we have been unable to pursue other options to raise funds so we need to appeal to you directly.
As a matter of fact, for the past few years this Company has subsisted solely on the funds raised at our annual beach party and from money raised filling swimming pools. This has been enough to augment the budget we receive from the Board of Fire Commissioners, which are elected by the public to oversee the fire tax money raised by District #2.
Thanks to the excellent planning ability and fiscal responsibility of the Board and the Fire Company Officers we have been able to not only live within our means but also expand the fire protection that we provide to the residents. Since 1995 we have purchased and equipped a 105-foot aerial ladder truck, an engine with a 1500-gallon-per minute pump, a mini-pumper/vehicle extrication unit and a new chief's vehicle. All of this was accomplished without a fund drive and without raising your fire taxes!
Even with all of that improvement our resources are still being strained. This is due to a number of issues: Our District (which encompasses more than 68 square miles!) has undergone tremendous development-this development has created new demand for service and protection. Our calls have increased from 160 per year ten years ago to 320 last year.
In that time being a volunteer firefighter has become more difficult because of new legislation and standards requiring more training time. (Please read the following fact sheet for a better picture of the time that our members dedicate to providing you the most professional fire protection possible.)
Increased training demands and busier work/home life schedules have adversely affected volunteerism in the fire service. Our active volunteer roles are ever shrinking.
Every member of the Cassville Volunteer Fire Company commits to this training and to answering calls and protecting our neighbors' life and property (at the risk of his life) without any monetary reimbursement. We will continue to do so without hesitation. What we ask in return is that if you have the means please assist us in our mission by donating (even five or ten dollars will help!) to our fund drive. This assistance will enable us to continue to focus on training and preparation-instead of focusing on funding raising events. This will ensure that we are there to serve you-our neighbors.
Thank you, in advance, for your support!
Respectfully,
Doug Velting
Vice President/Fund Raising Committee Chairman
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· For 2002 Cassville Volunteer Fire Company responded to 320 calls. These calls included: - Structure fires - Motor Vehicle Accidents - Brush fires - Fire Alarm Investigations - Hazardous materials responses
· Each year our active members dedicate, on average, over 200 hours each to Company training. This training includes mandatory annual re-certification such as:
The Company conducts other training such as:
· Outside of these Company mandating training sessions, our members also attend training at local fire academies and training centers to advance their own knowledge base-on their own time. Some of the training that our members have attended in the past year are:
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To send us a donation, simply mail it to us! Please feel free to include your name and mention you saw this ad on our webpage. If you would like, you can always stop at one of our two firehouses and hand it in personally. Thank you for all of your support!
