This page is pending update for 2010/2011 - please check back soon
The volunteers of Four Communities Fire Department continue to work hard and train even harder.
On average, each year our volunteers donate 11,251 Duty hours plus 2,039 training hours.
That's the equivalent of more 5 full time firefighters for a full year!
We average 240 calls per year, and these volunteer hours save you, the county taxpayers over $250,000 annually!
We have been successfull in obtaining federal equipment grant monies, and have put more than $350,000 in new equipment in service in our community in the past few years. This equipment, however, not only required a 10% financial match from our department, but requires maintenance and repair to keep in service.
In the meanwhile, just like you, our normal day to day operating, maintenance and training expenses, however, continue to grow.
Once again, we are asking you to PLEASE dig deep, and continue to support your volunteer firefighters. These dedicated men and women selflessly put themselves in harms way to protect the people and property in our great community. Only through your support can we continue to provide them with the tools, training and support they need to do this heroic work.
Volunteers don't only save lives, they save tax dollars, and keep your insurance rates low. Besides the $250K in donated labor annually, our active volunteers help keep the ISO Public Protection Classification Ratings low, which helps keep your insurance rates down. Now it's your turn to be a hero, and be part of a great tradition of service. Please give generously.
Your tax-deductible donation can be mailed to:
Four Communities Fire Department
(a registered IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit company)
which is physically located at
4870 North US Highway 1
Cocoa, FL 32927
321-636-6666
The Corporate mailing address is :
P.O. Box 227
Sharpes, FL 32959
General email inquiries can be made to :
info@fourcommunities.com
"A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-HELP-FLA TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." Registration # CH16310
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Where do we spend our money? We have purchased vitally important radio equipment and pagers through a combination of grant monies and your contributions. We have funded EMT and firefighter training for our volunteers. We have bought uniforms for our volunteers. We have paid all those bills that help keep our volunteer-owned fire station running (water, power, phone, waste disposal, paint and repairs, etc), and on top of that, our volunteers took money out of their own pockets to buy candy and toys to give to the children especially in some of the economically challenged neighborhoods in our area over the holiday season.
The only "fundraising" costs we have, is the cost to print, sort, ship and mail the flyers that we send to the community no more than once per year.
CAUTION : We do not use telemarketers and we NEVER solicit by phone. The fundraising consultants we use, OCS Inc, is the company that prints and sorts the fundraising letters that we send out each year. The FCFD gets 100% of your donations. Phone solicitors may claim to support or be affiliated with your local Volunteer Firefighters, but the ONLY way to ensure that your donation stays in your community, and goes towards actual fire rescue programs is to make your check or money order out to the Four Communities Fire Department and mail it directly to us.
For a list of projects and other ways you can help, see our Help Wanted page
* Please Stay Informed *
We welcome any of our supporters to plan a visit to the Fire Station, to see where your donations are being put to use.
* Caution *
We have received calls asking about the Space Coast Fire Fighter Association. Their telephone solicitors have an extensive history of misrepresenting themselves and where your hard-earned donation goes. Almost every Volunteer & City Fire Department in Brevard County has had similar complaints about the Space Coast Firefighters Association misrepresenting themselves. The "SCFFA" DOES NOT support the Volunteer Firefighters on the Space Coast in any way shape or form. Their telemarketers, however, may be disgracing the proud traditions of the Fire Service when the misrepresent themselves for financial gain. Read about their poor money management below.
Here's what we can tell you. :
We don't know why, but the Space Coast Fire Fighters Association rarely uses their registered corporate name "Space Coast Professional Fire Fighters Inc" perhaps to avoid the criticism that paid firefighters might not be your first choice for charity. Paid professional firefighters certainly deserve our support, but the County and Cities already have budgets for public education, firefighter benefits and insurance. Most also have Union representation and support through their Local IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters).
This is a copy of their registration data from the Division of Consumer Services (as of 1 June 2008):
| Search Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Name | SPACE COAST PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, INC. (Charitable Organization) | ||
| City/State | MERRITT ISLAND, FL | ||
| Registration Number | CH2441 | ||
| Registration Expiration Date | 06/30/2007 | ||
| Revenue Source | IRS 990 (12/31/2006) | ||
| Total Revenue | $263,162.00 | ||
| Program Services Cost | $39,551.00 (15% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Administrative Cost | $5,856.00 (2% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Fund-Raising Cost | $224,009.00 (83% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Payment to Affiliates | $0.00 (0% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Total Expenses | $269,416.00 | ||
| Surplus/Deficit | -$6,254.00 | ||
| Solicitor/Consultant: | VANCO PROMOTIONAL ENTERPRISES, INC. -- WINTER PARK, FL | ||
That means for every dollar you donate, only 15 cents goes to any kind of programs. The rest (85%) goes into the pockets of the fundraisers, and to business expenses.
Where does the SCFFA spend it's money? Well, they certainly don't maintain a firestation, and we don't know of any firefighting equipment or training that they have funded. During one phone call with an SCFFA corporate officer, we were told that they supported youth sports. We asked how any of the local Firefighters could request money from the SCFFA for training, or to help a family who lost everything in a fire, and we were told that they did not have any programs in place for that. To be honest, I'm not sure what they spend the $39,551 on, but $224,000 can sure pay for one heck of a slick telemarketing company.
We have repeatedly requested a breakdown or summary of what programs they support, and we will try to keep you updated when/if we get that information (to date, they still have not provided that information).
The Council of Better Business Bureaus' Standards call for 1) at least half of the charity's total income to be spent on programs, 2) at least half of public contributions to be spent on the programs described in appeals, 3) no more than 35% of contributions to be spent on fund raising, and 4) no more than half of the charity's total income to be spent on administrative and fund raising costs.
Please consider where your donated dollars go, and don't give into a slick sales pitch
For other ways you can help, see our Help Wanted page
