Last year you answered the call for help, and once again we thank you for your support. Your tax-deductible donations have allowed us to continue to train and equip our dedicated volunteer firefighters, and to be there when you call.
The volunteers of Four Communities Fire Department continue to work hard and train even harder.
In 2007, they have donated 12,888 Duty hours plus 1,838 training hours.
That's the equivalent of more 7 full time people for a full year!
24 Structure Fires,
7 Vehicle Fires,
40 Brush Fires,
73 Motor Vehicle Accidents, 40 EMS/Rescue Calls,
4 Hazardous Condition/Materials Calls,
27 Public Assist and Service Calls
These volunteer hours save you, the county taxpayers over $280,000 annually!
We finally accomplished a long-term goal to equip our Fire Engine with a Thermal Imaging Camera! This tool can see through thick smoke to help us quickly find someone trapped in a burning building, and it can pinpoint hidden fire even inside walls and ceilings.
We were not able to place a used Ladder Truck in service due to a number of logistics, support and training issues, but we are currently persuing grant funding to acquire a newer, safer, more effective brush truck/fast attack engine. Even with a grant award from the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program, the financial commitment for such a vehicle will require your ongoing support. We are also working on alternative sources of funding for other critical equipment, such "jaws of life" equipment that can handle the harder composite metals and materials used in modern cars. These are very competative grant programs, however, and it may be years until we are successful.
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 $280K 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.
"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
This is our current registration data from the Division of Consumer Services (as of 1 June 2008):
| Search Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Name | FOUR COMMUNITIES VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT (Charitable Organization) | ||
| City/State | COCOA, FL | ||
| Registration Number | CH16310 | ||
| Registration Expiration Date | 10/14/2008 | ||
| Revenue Source | IRS 990 w/ Sch.A (12/31/2006) | ||
| Total Revenue | $51,167.00 | ||
| Program Services Cost | $73,790.00 (98% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Administrative Cost | $0.00 (0% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Fund-Raising Cost | $1,135.00 (2% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Payment to Affiliates | $0.00 (0% of Total Expenses) | ||
| Total Expenses | $74,925.00 | ||
| Surplus/Deficit | $-23,758 | ||
| Solicitor/Consultant: | OCS...OMNI COMPUTER SERVICE, INC. -- SYKESVILLE, MD | ||
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 their current 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
