Haletown VFD unveils subscription service
HALETOWN, Tenn. (WDEF) – Those who live in Southeastern Marion County rely on a small firefighting force when emergencies arise.
The Haletown Volunteer Fire Department is composed of 14 firefighters, who all volunteer their time to help their community.
They say all of their funding now comes from $40,000 from Marion County, plus any additional grants and donations they receive.
They hope this subscription service, which would cost residents $35 a year, would increase their ability to respond to emergencies.
Captain Stephen Ware of the Haletown Volunteer Fire Department said, “We’re just trying to save our community every dime we can, while still tying keep our department afloat. Keep it to where we can get the equipment and the apparatuses and vehicles we need to properly serve our community.”
Captain Ware is one of the 14 firefighters who serve this rural area of Southeastern Marion County.
The Haletown VFD’s service area is 65 square miles, the largest of any fire department in the county.
This combines for an expensive and difficult operation.
Captain Ware said, “We’re scrapping by right now, having to go out, ask the community for donations. And we have to hunt down these grants, which might as well be like winning the lottery. It’s a science that bigger departments can afford to pay someone to do. But us a smaller community fire department, it’s something that us firefighters as having to do ourselves.
This is why they are rolling out a subscription service.
For anyone who enrolls, they would not be billed for any service they receive from Haletown VFD.
Up until now, those who have received service from the fire department have had to pay a third-party billing service for Fire Recovery services.
Captain Ware added, “Most of the fire departments that work out of Hamilton County, and other surrounding counties, run off of a subscription based service.”
They do want to assure that they will not ignore calls from residents who do not pay this fee.
Captain Ware said, “Some of our community, they might not be able to pay and that’s perfectly fine. We’re still going to respond the exact same way we would, subscribed or unsubscribed, to do what’s necessary.”
He adds says that if everyone in their service area subscribed it would give the fire department roughly $80,000 for the department.
Captain Ware said, “We’re a non-profit. None of our firefighters, not even our chief or financial board, get a dime for what they do here. None of our firefighters are paid. Everything we do is for our community. That’s what the funds from this will go towards is helping our community by making sure that when they are need, we have everything we need to help them to the best of our ability.”
According to Haletown VFD, it takes a minimum of $39,000 annually to maintain the department, which doesn’t account for any upgrades.
Captain Ware said there will be flyers going out to everyone in their service area explaining the service in detail and how to join.
They also have an explanation on their website and the ability to sign up for it there.
The subscription service begins March 1st.
The Haletown Volunteer Fire Department’s fire station
