Ways fire departments bring in money

[JohnnyOV 2]

I am writing a report and am at the different types of ways fire departments bring in money.

What are the ways, besides fundrasing do Fire Departments bring in money.

Districts, cities etc etc.

Edited March 16, 2006 by EMSJunkie712

[TRUCK6018 50]

Whether a given fire department is career, combination or volunteer has no bearing in how the operational expenses are acquired. Its how the department or district is governed under state law. The two most common types of fire agencies are fire districts and fire protection districts.

Fire Districts bring in money via taxes. Fire districts being autonomous bodies, submit its budget to the town and the taxes get levied appropriately.

Fire Protection Districts bring in money from the towns they serve by contract. They submit a proposal to the town and the town board votes to "hire" the agency for the term outlined. The town then levies taxes appropriately.

The major difference between fire districts and fire protection districts are the governing bodies.

Fire districts have publicly elected commissioners. There are no requirements for knowledge of the fire departments operations. The get elected just as a town supervisor would by the registered voters of the town.

Fire protection districts commissioners (or directors) are members of the department, elected from within the department. They are elected based on that departments bylaws.

Other ways money is obtained is through grants. There are grants given on both the state and federal level. More often than not, a grant has to be ear marked for a specific purchase.

Most cities (New York, Yonkers, New Rochelle, etc) have appointed fire commissioners who are chosen by the mayor of the city. The moneys for the operations of those departments are levied though taxes.

Edited March 17, 2006 by TRUCK6018

[mfc2257 464]

Whether a given fire department is career, combination or volunteer has no bearing in how the operational expenses are acquired.  Its how the department or district is governed under state law.  The two most common types of fire agencies are fire districts and fire protection districts..........

←

This is mostly true in the NY metropolitan area.... However if you go to PA, MD, VA, KY, NC, SC, and a lot of other states, fire protection isn't necessarily funded by taxes, or municipal budgets... Many states do not allow fire departments to gather funding because if the municipality isn't a "City"....If it's a boro, borough, township, town, hamlet, village, etc... it may not be legal to levee a fire tax.

Here is a real life example that I lived while in college.... Gettysburg Fire Department, Gettysburg, PA.... (gettysburgfd.com) On the MD border a short distance from the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD... The Borough of Gettysburg does not have a fire tax. The fire department raises money through it's annual carnival which it holds each year during the week of July 4th. It also raises money for billing insurance companies for EMS calls that it runs with its two ambulances. It has a mail fund raiser that goes to all the people that live within the FD's first due. It also gets donations from local businesses who realize the value of fire protection. Finally, they have 50/50 raffles, dinners, auctions, etc.

They just had a big ceremony for the paying off of the mortgage on their 9 bay station. All thier apparatus is paid for by the blood sweat and tears of the membership and the kindness of the community.... If they have to they borrow money from the borough or a bank and pay it off. With the exception of Rescue 1 (a new Sutphen Engine/Rescue) all of their apparatus is paid for and titled in thier name, as is the building and fairgrounds. I'm sure the Rescue will be paid for soon as will the new Engine 1-1 which is the soon to be delivered replacement for Engines 1-1 "The General Ike", and 1-4 which essentially were combined when they bought Quint 1 to add to the fleet along with 1-2, 1-3, Truck 1, the two ambulances, and service (utility).

I chipped in by buying thier old B model Mack, "The General Ike" from them for a tad more than what it was worth But it's priceless to me.

They are lucky to have the support of the town. There are other fire departments that have had to watch their apparatus get repossesed by the bank as the families of the FF's watched in tears.

Not cool.

Edited March 17, 2006 by mfc2257

[ryefd192 2]

Down here at the Southwest Lee County Fire Protection Authority(southwest FD) in Lee county, Alabama, we have four ways of making money. The first is through the "Fire Fee" collected from the citizens every year. The second way is through grants, to my knowlege every grant we've requested has been given. We also sell the syrup at what is called the syrup sopping fesitval in our district. Lastly, we charge for incidents if the property owner does not pay the Fire Fee....

-hope this helps

[JohnnyOV 2]

Thanks alot guys...keep it comeing.

BTW, can i get your permission to use this in my essay? stupid plagerisim laws

a pm with your name would sufice...thank you very much.

Alex Vergo

Edited March 17, 2006 by EMSJunkie712

[truckie45 1]

Fill the boot

Rose sale

Mothers Day Breakfest

Door to Door collections

[firecapt32 282]

for those of you that collect public money thats anything the comes form people!! do you report it to the State? file any kind of report? re you a 501©3 charity?? do you tell them its tax deducable??

[TRUCK6018 50]

for those of you  that collect public money thats anything the comes form people!!  do you report it to the State? file any kind of report? re you a 501©3 charity?? do you tell them its  tax deducable??

←

Donations to 501©(3) corporations need to be reported. Fire districts can not accept donations as they are municipal (taxing) entities. This is the confusion within some areas. The XYZ Fire District will be responsible for fire protection in a certain area. Since the District doesn't hire firefighters, they utilize the services of the XYZ Volunteer Fire Department Inc. which is a 501©(3) charitable organization under the IRS tax code.

Speaking of tax codes. Up until the last several years it was common for individuals to donate their old car to the local fire department for training purposes and write it off their taxes. The donor used to be able to write off the book value of the vehicle. This is no longer the case. Now the write off amount is what the vehicle is sold off for by the charity.

[firecapt32 282]

I'm a little condused truck I know fire districts cannot accecpt donations. but fire companies can IE yorktown (just an example) just had a chili night right? It was the Fire company not the Fire District that was the reciepent of the money collected. Does the fire compnay have to declear that money and report it to the State or Feds?

Is there certain things that can can be done with the money?? or can they spend it any way they want?

Does annual appeal donations have to be reported?

[TRUCK6018 50]

....... but fire companies can IE yorktown (just an example) just had a chili night right? It was the Fire company not the Fire District that was the reciepent of the  money collected. Does the fire compnay have to declear that money and report it to the State or Feds?

Is there certain things that can can be done with the money?? or can they spend it any way they want?

Does annual appeal donations have to be reported?

←

All monies collected by 501©(3) charities are supposed to be reported to the IRS and the state regardless of the method that they are collected. These ways include (but are not limited to) fund raisers, annual fund drives, or boot drives.

For those who bought a ticket for a for a fund raising dinner. The face amount on the ticket is not the amount that can be deducted from the donors taxes. Only the net profit to the charity can be claimed. Example: If a charity charges $50 for a sit down fund raising dinner, and the goods received (food/beverage) equaled $30, the amount deductible is only $20.

There are stipulations in the tax code as to how the monies are spent.

Edited March 26, 2006 by TRUCK6018

[TheBuff376 8]

Yorktown ran a very successful chili night..Didn't see you there Alex...

[JohnnyOV 2]

Yorktown ran a very successful chili night..Didn't see you there Alex...

←

Yea I know I am back down in school now...My flight left at 2:30 out of Newark. We tried to chamge the flight time to sunday, but it cost wayyy too much money. There is always next year

[22 Truck 6]

Did a ride-a-long with a PGFD dept. (don't worry, not Kentland) while I was down there 2 weeks ago and they let me in on an interesting way....property rent. Apparently they own an entire block surrounding their fire station in which a post office and many other municipal buildings are located paying them a yearly fee. Interesting investment, real estate. They have a huge ambulance billing income (already mentioned) in which they bought a $200,000 ambulance several weeks ago solely on those funds. They also used to have banquet hall which brought in a lot of cash, but many of the people for that area that used it would destroy it so they ended it. I guess many other MD dept.'s do have banquet halls they rent out.

They also do Bingo 3 nights a week, in which they hire someone to host the tournament in their building, taking in the profits.

[Turborich 12]

Might I suggest picking up the latest copy of fire apparatus journal.. in it there is a profile of a department in West Virginia I believe that makes it's money by having an on site restaurant and amusement park, as well as owning its own construction equipment and carnival rides to contract work outside of district. All proceeds made go to the 23 member department!!!!!!

Another REALLY cool thing is that they incorporate their equipment with their operations... i.e. the flatbed that they use to transport the carnival rides and construction equipment doubles as a tractor for a 6000 gallon tanker.

Check it out!

Rich