Always thinking of others...

I received a request today from a fire chief of a small volunteer department in West Texas unlike any other that has come my way since first delving into the world of helping firefighters.

The fire chief had placed an application for a grant with my organization in February 2007. His VFD’s radio tower was knocked out in an ice storm in January, which meant a “lack of communication” for the firefighters – a completely unacceptable situation in the world of first responders. The department needed $6,000 to make repairs and get communications back on line. However, the request came in right after we disbursed what we had left from 2006 fundraising efforts, so we couldn't help them.

He called just to let me know that the State Department of Health was going to provide the funding to get the radio tower up and running again! He asked for me to ensure that his application was completely withdrawn because “there are so many VFDs that are in need.”

I love these guys/gals – they are always thinking of others.

Getting the word out

Advertising…not a skill set I’ve yet been able to master.

I’m contemplating the best way to reach the general public for the WPI Firefighters’ Fund Chili Cook-Off, our annual fundraiser. The big daily newspapers are too expensive for my budget, and the small local newspapers seem to be hit and miss—I tried them last year, but I don’t think they generated much response.

I am thinking about using a billboard this year, something that people will see almost every day for 4 weeks prior to the event. Now for the next step: location, location, location.