THE PROBLEM: DECLINING VOLUNTEERS & FUNDING

In order to serve you now and in the future, we desperately need your help. What are we asking for? Simple: Funding and Volunteers.

DECLINING VOLUNTEERS

The following news article will show you that the volunteer  firefighter is a dying breed. According to a recent USA TODAY article the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped nationally more than 10% over the past two decades, even though emergency calls are up. The decline is particularly steep in the Northeastern United States. Pennsylvania, which had about 300,000 volunteers three decades ago, is down closer to 50,000. As of 2004, the total number of fire companies in Pennsylvania was 2430. Of those, 2334 were 100% volunteer with the rest being paid or combination paid/volunteer. Fire companies across the state are averaging just under 30 personnel per company and we are no different.

Womelsdorf Borough and Heidelberg Township are both required by law to provide fire protection. What if there was no one to respond? Your insurance premiums will rise. Property values could decrease. Response times will be longer, and lives and property further placed in jeopardy because the next closest fire department would have to respond. If a paid department is put into place, taxes would go up tremendously to cover the costs associated with providing a paid department. According to a survey done in July 1999 by the Governor's Center for Local Government Services, the average cost of a firefighter including salary and benefits is $55,000.

Depending on what would be required for our area, a minimum recommendation for 1 apparatus would be 4 firefighters and would include a driver, officer, crew of 2 firefighters costing the municipalities $220,000!!!! This does not include the cost of apparatus, equipment, insurance, and day-to-day expenses. This is only 1 shift and not 24-hour coverage. Other than saving lives and property, we also save taxpayers money.

FUNDING

Skyrocketing costs of equipment, insurance, day-to day expenses, and primarily apparatus, are beginning to take their toll on our budget and these expenses will only continue to rise. Many of these cost increases can be attributed to greatly improved safety features and the need for expanded functionality to meet the increasing challenges facing fire departments today.

Our budget is supported mainly by four different means.

An annual fund drive letter is sent to all residences and businesses in our  primary coverage areas asking for a yearly donation.

Fundraisers that the fire company holds throughout the year offering goods such as our Friday Night Cookouts, a Chicken Bar-B-Q, sandwich sales, flower sales, and a carnival.

Relief Association funds from the Volunteer Fireman's' Relief Association and Assistance and donations from the Womelsdorf Vol. Fire Company Social Quarters, Womelsdorf Borough, and Heidelberg Township.

Our fund drive returns, and fund raisers comprise HALF of our yearly budget of about $68,000. Our fund drive return rate in 2004 was only 33%. This means that only 1 out of every 3 letters mailed out were returned with a donation. Since 1997 this has dropped significantly from 45%!!! Profits from our fundraisers are declining as well. The 2005 cookout made less than $5000 this year, compared to a profit of almost $7000 last year. We have also had to split profits with other organizations due to lack of volunteers. The carnival we sponsor along with several other community groups is also not as profitable as in previous years. With all this in mind though, holding more fundraisers are not the answer to get additional funding.

Relief Association funds come from a 2% tax levied on out of state insurance premiums, making up a little over 25% of our budget. In 1895, when this tax was enacted, it was to encourage individuals to participate in the fire service by making funds available which could be used to provide benefits to protect volunteer firefighters and their families. Today, these funds are still used to protect volunteer firefighters by allowing the associations to purchase equipment for safety such as SCBA, turnout gear, and hose.

The rest of our budget comes from our Social Quarters, Womelsdorf Borough, and Heidelberg Township. Our Social Quarters, or the "Club" as it is commonly referred to, pays for all of our insurance except for what is required of our Relief Association or about $6000. Womelsdorf Borough pays for our fuel for our apparatus each year. In 1997, Borough Council enacted a fire tax to help pay for apparatus. This tax, at .1 mils, brings in about $10,000 in revenue a year but we only use it towards apparatus replacement. Womelsdorf Borough's current tax rate is 3.0  mils. Heidelberg Township gives us an annual donation of $1500.

In the past year we have answered a record number of calls, over 240 each year, the most calls our fire company has ever had in our 118-year history. The calls ranged from structure fires, fire alarm activations, and vehicle accidents to public service calls such as pumping basements and removing trees from roadways. The fire company will only get busier with the proposed homes and increased traffic in the area and the lack of volunteers in the area.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

VOLUNTEER!!!!

If you would be interested in volunteering, please contact, or stop by the fire station. Our members would be more than happy to get you an application and give you a tour of the apparatus and station. Applications can also be printed out from the website. Just fill it out completely and return it to our station as well. Those age 17 and younger are required to have working papers. Those age 21 and over are required to submit a $5.00 fee to become a member of our Social Quarters for insurance purposes. Our contact information is listed on the bottom of this page. We will take volunteers for any aspect including but not limited to firefighter, junior firefighter (ages 16 & 17), driver, fire police officer, and fundraising. We are also looking for volunteers to perform some other non-firefighting tasks such as simply washing and cleaning the apparatus and the station, mowing the grass, or shoveling snow. If you are good with computers, numbers, reports, or statistics, you can keep track of our statistics and reports. All equipment will be provided by the fire company and all personnel are required to pass a background check conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police.

CONTRIBUTE!!!!

The fire company is classified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a non-profit 501 (c)(4) organization which means that ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. Please decide to make a donation, no matter what the amount, when you receive our fund drive letter. Help us increase our funding and our contribution rate. We ask that residents, families, and businesses give what they can afford with their budget, but also your fair share. An annual donation is much less expensive than having the local municipalities impose or increase a fire tax, which many municipalities are now enacting. For those who have already contributed, thank you and we look forward to your continued support. Those who wish to contribute online, the fire company has set up a secure PAYPAL account.