The Colestin Rural Fire District is no longer operational. As a courtesy to our local community, this website will continue to be maintained on a limited basis and for a limited period of time; however, we are no longer liable for responding to fire calls, medical calls, or any other emergencies. We have not yet been annexed into Jackson County Fire District 5, although we will have their support during fire season, so at this time, District 5 is not primarily responsible for responses within our district. Instead, all calls should be directed to 9-1-1. The appropriate resources will be dispatched accordingly, and as they are available.


Some of our notable past fundraising efforts are chronicled here (below). See our Board Meeting Minutes for recent fundraising details and developments.

We have fundraising T-shirts and sweatshirts! (They make great gifts!) See below.



Why must we fundraise, and solicit donations?

Since its inception in 1994, the Fire District's tax base has been able to fund most of our basic operating expenses. However, as our population in the valley has increased, our service needs have also increased, in relation to this growth. The demand for our fire protection and medical services by adjacent districts and agencies, with which we have mutual aid and automatic aid agreements, has also increased.

We therefore have done our best to meet these service demands, by engaging in a higher, more professional level of service, through our training programs and equipment augmentation, in accord with the growing needs of our own community and other agencies with whom we work.

These additional service requirements that our District must legally strive to meet, places additional demands upon our base budget. We are in the precarious position of being mandated by Jackson County to provide the services we do, without having the full funding to do it (not unlike local schools, police, and other government agencies!).

As an all-volunteer Fire District, we could not function without the back-up aid and occasionally, the equipment support, of other agencies with whom we have aid agreements. Nor could we jeopardize our own community by limiting our services, in order to remain within our tax base budget.

We go forward, therefore, on a "shoeshine and a smile," as playwright Arthur Miller says, trusting that the support we receive from our own residents, and from "friends of the District" among neighboring agencies and private sources, will continue to allow us to make up the difference between what our tax-base covers, and what our actual operating expenses are.

Dedicated local support through donations and fundraising, together with the support of other agencies and grant foundations, is the way, and the only way, that we have developed and maintained our fire district's protection services for over twenty years now.

It is, in the absence of a budget fully covered by our tax base, the way we are able to continue. (See our budget to learn what our tax base covers.)

Any assistance with fundraising is always and greatly appreciated. If you are able to help us out, either by participating on our fundraising committee, or with just a few hours of your time on an occasional basis, please give us a call. We would be glad to talk with you about ways you might participate.

Lastly, we encourage those of you who cannot spare time to consider donating - financial contributions are ever and always welcome. They can be designated for the general fund, or earmarked for special equipment acquisitions or other specific purposes. (Call us to find out what's on our current "wish list.")

If you are a local resident, your donation will be directed to either the CRFD or to the Hilt Fire Company, depending on your state of residence. (To learn the legal distinctions, see the explanation on our Legalities & Services page.)

In all cases, all donations are fully tax-deductible, and are greatly appreciated.

 

Fundraising T-Shirts, Sweatshirts and Hats for Sale:


T-Shirts & Hats for sale at our annual community Picnic-Barbeque on

Sunday, September 22nd, 2019:

2019 CRFD T-Shirt - Front Pocket CRFD Logo

Thanks to everyone who bought a district fundraising T-shirt or hat - you can wear them proudly, while knowing that you're supporting your volunteer fire district!

2019 CRFD T-Shirt - Back image, Colestin Mineral Water with slogan "Got Fire?"

We have some still available:  T-Shirts are white cotton with a front pocket featuring CRFD's logo; reverse of shirts have a photo image of the original Colestin Mineral Water from back in the day (photo by our board member and professional artist Pam Haunschild), with the caption below, " Got fire?"

To acquire one of these, or a hat (with CRFD's logo), contact Board Member Cindy Warzyn:

Contact Info for Cindy W

(Type the email address into your email 'To' field.) Thank you for your support of your local volunteer fire district!


A long-time favorite T-Shirt slogan returns in a new rendition for
CRFD's Annual Community PICNIC – BBQ:
DATE: Sunday, September 10th, 2017
TIME: Noon to approx. 2 pm.
PLACE: The Hilt Church

See our Events page for picnic details.



Our 2016 Annual Community Picnic - Sunday, September 11th:

Our new District fundraising T-shirts were available for purchase, and nearly sold out. We sold out of Large, XL and larger; there are only a few Medium and Smalls left. And we sold out of hats! Many thanks to those who purchased a shirt and/or hat in support of the District!

This year's shirts are again designed by CRFD Board member and professional artist Pam Haunschild. They are khaki-colored, 100% cotton, with a pocket. The slogan on the back says “It’s No Joke: We Eat Smoke!," with "2016 Colestin Volunteer Firefighter" beneath. Everyone who has bought or who buys one of these new shirts supports our district as an "honorary firefighter." (See images below.)

(Active firefighters received their own complimentary T-shirt in special limited-edition navy blue with last year's "The hottest job on Earth!" design; these are not for sale to the public - they are just for our volunteers. Firefighters who were unable to attend the picnic and have not yet picked up their T-shirt should contact Board members Pam Haunschild or Cindy Warzyn to get theirs.)

 

2015 shirts:

New 2015 T-Shirt - Front, Logo over Pocket (in grey) 2015 new T-Shirt, with "Hottest Job on Earth!" Slogan on Back (in grey)


2015's design on the back of the shirt, by Board member Pam Haunschild, reprises "the Hottest Job on Earth" slogan with a whole new image; the fronts have our logo over the pocket. These shirts are a cool grey.

Some sizes of shirts from previous years are also still available (see below).

All sales proceeds help to raise funds for needed specialized items that are beyond our annual budgetary provisions.

To purchase a shirt, contact Board Member Cindy Warzyn:

Contact Info for Cindy W

(Type the email address into your email 'To' field.)

Thank you for your support of your local volunteer fire district!

Shirts from 2014:

We have a (very) limited supply left of our 2014 "Year of the Cat" Fundraising T-Shirts and Sweatshirts. These one-of-a-kind shirts, with the slogan "Year of the Cat" in recognition of our new district firefighting dozer, are collector's editions, made in 2014 only! (The design was created by Pam Haunschild, a professional artist as well as one of our Board Members and our grant writer.)

CRFD "Year of the Cat" Fundraising Sweatshirt

CRFD Fundraising Pocket T-Shirt Sweatshirts [above] are $28.00 (90% cotton, 10% polyester).

Pocket T-Shirts [left] are $17.00 (100% cotton).

All items are in Navy Blue, with designs as shown.

 

Earlier Shirts:

We had special 20th year anniversary fundraising T-Shirts and Sweatshirts printed for the celebration event marking our first 20 years of volunteer service in September, 2002. Thanks to those of you who attended this event, we sold many shirts at the event. However, if you missed the opportunity to get a shirt then, you still can - we have a limited number of shirts available in each size and design.

[Note: As of Sept. 2010, the "You light 'em, we fight 'em" T's are completely sold out and will not be re-ordered; if you have one, hold onto it - it is now a collector's item!]

Eminently wearable yet sharply good-looking, these shirts are one-time-only limited collector's editions. These shirts also make great unique gifts for anyone special in your life. Check out our full line below.

SIZES: all shirts are in Large and Extra-Large (sorry, no Mediums), and are pre-shrunk 100 per cent cotton.

PRICES: T-Shirts, $15.00. Sweatshirts, $25.00.

WHERE TO BUY:  Shirts are available directly from the Fire District - contact one of our Board members to purchase.

WHY:  Your purchase contributes to our district's operational funding, supplements our annual tax base, and helps to make our continued service possible.

 

All shirts have the insignia, "Colestin Rural Fire District - 1982-2002"
on the front crest,
in white:
or navy:

Back side designs are shown below:

"COLESTIN RURAL FIRE DIST. - THE HOTTEST JOB ON EARTH!"

on White T-Shirts

"COLESTIN RURAL FIRE DIST. - THE HOTTEST JOB ON EARTH!"

on Navy Blue T-Shirts

***These are the newly ordered shirts for both Colestin and Hilt, available with either the CRFD or Hilt logo in front, with the locally favorite "Firefighting - the hottest job on Earth!" slogans on back. The quality of these shirts is better than ever before - more durable ("they don't stretch out of shape") and the colors, including the images and lettering, don't fade over time as they have in the past.

"COLESTIN RURAL FIRE DIST. - THE HOTTEST JOB ON EARTH!"

on Navy Blue Sweatshirts - design on front:

[Currently out of stock; we are hoping to re-order these soon.]

"COLESTIN RURAL FIRE DIST. 1982-2002 - WE'RE FULLY INVOLVED!"

on Navy Blue T-Shirts

 

 

"COLESTIN RURAL FIRE DIST. 1982-2002 - WE'RE FULLY INVOLVED!"

on White T-Shirts - design on front side

Beautiful blankets for sale - when available:

  • Red fire emblem with "Colestin Fire District" woven into a rich blue background
  • Heavy-weight, 100-percent easy-care acrylic
  • 60-inch by 80-inch Throw size, or Twin-Bed size
  • Just right for cool evenings!
  • $35 each.

Contact us at (541) 488-1768 for current availability status and to purchase.

 

Your support contributes to our district's operational funding, supplementing our annual tax base, and helps to make our continued service possible.

Thank you!

 

 

Past Fundraising:

Some of our more notable past fundraising efforts are listed here, by year, in reverse chronological order. We will add further content from our records and past newsletters as time permits.


2008:

 

MARCH 5TH BENEFIT FILM SHOWING WAS A HUGE SUCCESS

In support of our district's special equipment needs fundraising efforts, a benefit showing of "Searchers 2.0," was held on March 5th at the Meese Auditorium in the Center for Visual Arts on the SOU campus.

There was a student showing in the late afternoon with a Q and A session with Alex, followed by a break, during which we held a rafffle before the evening CRFD benefit showing. Several people donated items or services, and we also raffled off some of our district T-shirts.

This special fundraising benefit was organized by Board member Tod Davies, who is also Alex's wife and collaborator, and Karen Dwyer (of our Budget committee).

Thank you, Tod, Karen, and of course, Alex, for your time in arranging this event, and your keen support of the fire district!  AND A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ATTENDED THIS FUN, FABULOUS, AND VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT!

All proceeds from the benefit showing and raffle went to our fire district. (Film tickets went for $10 each; raffle tickets were $1 each; shirt sales varied, depending on type and size, from between $15-$25.) Initial totals for the money raised were "well over $1,000."

At the March board meeting, it was reported that the benefit raised $2,207.00 for the district that evening - by far, our most successful fundraiser ever! Thank you, again, everyone, for such great support for our district!!


"Searchers 2.0" is the latest film by Colestin valley resident and internationally popular independent filmmaker Alex Cox, whose previous films, including "Repo Man," "Sid and Nancy," "Three Businessmen," and "Revenger's Tragedy," have already earned him a wide following.

"Searchers 2.0" is "the hilarious story of two out of work actors who take a road trip to Monument Valley in search of revenge against a screenwriter who tortured them when they were kids." The film has already been screened "at the Venice International Film Festival, and the AIF Festival in Los Angeles, and will play at [the] Lincoln Center in New York, in February."

For more information about the film, check out the film's website at www.searchers2.com.

 

2007:

 

2006:

A TIDES FOUNDATION GRANT WILL GO FOR A WATER TENDER

In August of 2006, we were informed by the Executive Director of the Tides Foundation in San Francisco that the fire district's general fund had been granted $5,000.

This support has specifically been provided by the Baraka Fund of the Tides Foundation, on the recommendation of Colestin resident Benjamin Stott. The Tides Foundation has supported organizations working for positive social change since 1976, and has been a tremendous supporter of our fire district over the years.

Our Board agreed to allocate the grant towards the purchase of a used water tender. Given our geography and the difficulty of getting water to fires, the opportunity to have a water tender allows our firefighters to control fires much more easily.

A 4x4 two-axle 2,000-gallon capacity truck, the largest that the district is able to house, normally costs between $25,000 - $30,000.

The Tides Foundation money was combined with additional grant money and with money from firefighting revenues received through automatic and mutual aid agreements with other agencies to purchase the water tender, and to help pay for its operations.

2005:

 

2004:

Our New Structure Fire Engine, financed by a FEMA Grant:

After nearly a two-year wait while CDF built the engine for us, and after outfitting it with parts, our long-awaited FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)-financed structure fire engine, Engine No. 44-13,was finished and put into full-time service in the fall of 2004. It is housed at Station No. 1 at Colestin, in the center of the district.  Photos and more info.

2003:

On June 24th, 2003, we were notified that the CRFD has been awarded a $6,500 grant from the Neil McDonald Foundation, to complement the new State of Oregon grant award for about $12,000, and the FEMA grant we received in September, 2002, for a structure fire engine.

We purchased our first structure fire engine last spring with the FEMA grant money. This engine has been outfitted by CDF with hoses, tanks, and other parts and equipment, and was put into service this September.

Also last spring, we sold our old 1956 International 4 X 4 Fire Truck. It was put on sale to the public through a sealed bidding process which closed March 30th. We received and accepted a bid for the minimum bid amount of $3,500. View this truck as advertised.

 

2002:

 

2001:

 

2000:

 

1999:

[The following contents are taken directly from newsletters to our district members during 1999, presented here at length in order to demonstrate where we were then as a district, and how far we have come since then:]

The combined efforts of Fire District fundraising, and generous donations to CRFD by local residents through private fundraising, allowed the Fire District to purchase a portable cardiac AED (Automated External Defibrillator) unit in the fall of 1999, augmenting our emergency medical response services with this potentially life-saving special equipment.

An AED is a vital service to be able to provide in an area such as ours, where on a good day, most of us are at least 45 minutes away from the nearest hospital defibrillator unit, which is in Ashland.

The cost of the defibrillator, at $ 3,520. per unit, could not have been met by our available budgetary provisions; and "borrowing" from other budget categories would have shortchanged other vital equipment needs and services.

Donations for the defibrillator, from all fundraising sources, totaled $1,450 by mid-June last year, shortly after we set out to begin raising the money for it. Just one month later, $3,433 had been raised, almost reaching the goal. The Board was then able to approve the purchase, and the defibrillator arrived a few days later. A special thanks is due Cheri Avgeris, who volunteered her time to hold a special training session on the AED.

We are grateful to all of the following people who, through various endeavors, helped to make our new AED a reality:

On May 31st, a number of local Colestin residents, headed up by Amanda Germain and Dansing Galusha, held a "Firewalk" event. A "firewalk" is a fire in an open pit with hot coals or rocks, which people walk over. Donations were requested of participants, from which proceeds the organizers donated about $700, to assist CRFD's medical equipment fundraising efforts.

[Please note that this event took place before fire season began, and that it was co-ordinated ahead of time with the fire district, with the full co-operation of all parties involved, in order to ensure fire safety.]

Several participating residents also contributed additional cash donations to help the fire district purchase this equipment. Many thanks to Amanda and Dansing, to their business, Peaceworks, and to all those who played a part in this generous, much-appreciated contribution to our fundraising efforts!

Another major fundraising event during 1999 was a Used Book Sale, on July 16th and 17th, held at the Talent Wal Mart parking lot. Originally scheduled as a 3-day event, the sale went so well that most of the books were sold by the end of the second day, enabling us to conclude the sale that same day.

Many people helped us with this event: Firstly, all of you who contributed books to sell.

Wal Mart in Talent donated the parking-lot vendor space to us, helping to set up the booth canopy, and loaned us a display shelf.

Frank and Jeannie Marin loaned the booth canopy to us, and Italo Marin also assisted with the assembly.

Steve Dippold of Best Designs donated a display banner for the booth, with the District's name on it.

Colestin residents and Fire District volunteers Sharron Halvorson and Cheri Avgeris organized the book sale, procured the booth space at Wal Mart, and picked up books from all those who contributed them.

Sharron also handled advertising in local newspapers, and sent out the district-wide flyer announcing the sale and the need for used book donations. In addition, she and her partner, John Wall, sorted, categorized, and priced the books in preparation for the sale.

Special thanks is due Andy Herskind and Steve and Cheri Avgeris, who transported display tables, supplies, and books in their own vehicles, and gave lots of time and energy to pull off the book sale.

Sheila Maher and Johanna Wright also gave their time to work at the booth.

Steve and Penny Meads, the proprietors of Stateline Service in Hilt, donated cash and merchandise to the sale from the Store's "What-Not Box."

And Lisa Buttrey and her husband, David Cothran, donated an additional $500 in cash to the book sale proceeds, specified for the defibrillator purchase.

Overall, book sale proceeds totaled over $900. We are most grateful for all of the community support and the many monetary and in-kind donations that made this event possible, and successful. Thank you, everyone!


$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

CRFD has also been fundraising with CRFD T-Shirt sales throughout the past year. Since sales began last spring, we have raised almost $500.

The brain-child of Cheri Avgeris, our first-ever T-Shirts began as navy blue heavyweight, 60 %-cotton / 40 %- polyester Tees, with the CRFD logo on the front, and a "you light 'em, we fight 'em" slogan on the back. At $15.00 each, available at Stateline Service in Hilt and directly from the fire district, they were gorgeous and very popular, and we sold out quickly.

The second incarnation of CRFD T-Shirts are white, and are lettered across the left side of the front with "CRFD." They are regular (not heavyweight) 50/50 % cotton-polyester, without the original slogan & logo, yet are just as wearable as the blue Tees.

To purchase one of our fundraising T-Shirts, contact Cheri at (541) 488-1768, or visit the Stateline Service store in Hilt. A limited quantity is still available, for $ 10 each, in the following sizes: 3X, 2X, XL, L, and M. (No 'Small').

We are thankful for being able to co-ordinate the sales of our T-Shirts with Steve and Penny Meads, who are the proprietors of Stateline Service.

We also wish to extend an in-house "thank-you!" to Cheri Avgeris, who has handled the supply and printing for the shirts, as well as promotion and sales, throughout the past year.

These shirts are intended not only for firefighters or fire district personnel, but for anyone who is proud of our fire district's volunteer efforts. Treat yourself, or someone you know, to one of our shirts, and help us to acquire the much-needed firefighting and medical emergency response equipment that our budget cannot currently support.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

This year, we will again participate in the annual 4th of July in Ashland, selling miniature American flags.

Last year, we were fortunate to have Mike Maher (Sheila Maher's brother) agree to don the customary 'Uncle Sam' costume and sell the flags.

We don't yet have a 'Sam' for this year's 4th. If you, or someone you know, is interested to do this for us, please contact Board member Peg Stewart, who is organizing this year's event. Look for more details in our June news. (Continued to next page)

 

Grants:

Spearheaded by Assistant Fire Chief Andy Herskind, who has also been our Medical Officer through the Hilt Fire Company for the past several years, we are currently pursuing a grant for a "jaws of life" for our medical response unit.

These grants are sponsored by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department, which is responsible for all safety equipment for emergency vehicles in the County. Under the aegis of the Hilt VFD, which is legally in California, we are eligible to become a grant recipient.

SPECIAL MENTION: The District owes a very special thanks to former Board member Nick Doherty, who was solely responsible for CRFD receiving a $7,500. grant to purchase a medical rescue unit vehicle.

Steve Avgeris was able to locate a 1987 4-wheel drive diesel-fueled Chevrolet 'Suburban' in excellent condition, which the District recently purchased with the grant money.

We have a siren for it, a light bar is on its way, and some minor mechanical work is currently being done; we may also receive a donated radio for this rig. Our former medical vehicle, the Ford Bronco, will become a patrol and back-up response unit.

The rescue unit grant funder will remain anonymous by request, but has given the District this money so that it can respond to the ever-increasing medical emergencies we face throughout the year. Thanks, Nick!

 

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS:

During the past year, we have also received 'general fund' $ DONATIONS from a number of people, in addition to the defibrillator donations listed above.

A sincere thank-you to each of these folks, for their personal or business donations: Mountcrest Ltd. (Jud Parsons), Alex and Jennifer Liston-Dykema, Art and Mary-Jo Trainor, and a $1,200 donation from Fruit Growers Supply Company in Hilt.

Special Mention: The Fire District received a Memorial Contribution from Betty Schoenhals , in honor of her late husband, Leonard. Both Leonard and Betty have been strong supporters of the District over the years. We recognize the representative significance of this special donation, and appreciate it very much. Thank you, Betty.
Bill and Laurie Rooker donated a vehicle for a "Burn-To-Learn" session, for firefighter training. To the unacquainted, this might seem like a waste of a perfectly good used vehicle, but hands-on practice is essential to good firefighting techniques. Thank you, Bill and Laurie.

Mike Maher also helped set up the District's computer software. His time and materials to install programs in the District's computer are valued at $225. Thank you for your expertise, Mike.

Marshall and Nancy Cole donated a new, 1992 snowmobile to the Fire District this past fall, for wintertime search and rescue situations. An approximately $5,000 value, this is a wonderful gift. A hearty thanks to both Nancy and Marshall.

Frank and Jeannie Marin, who are familiar with snowmobiles, have offered to operate this unit for the District.

A debt of gratitude is owed to Fruit Growers, for the use of a recently acquired "Quick Attack" small fire rig (44-20, nicknamed "The Squad").

Although this 150-gallon pumper is not officially recognized as a fire engine, cannot respond to Code-3 calls, and is limited to use as a private vehicle, it is particularly advantageous for our District's initial response needs. Currently stationed in the Hilt schoolhouse (owned by Fruit Growers), they are also separately insuring this rig for us.

In addition, Fruit Growers has been footing the electric heating bill for the schoolhouse, which we also use to house some equipment and 44-11, our 500-gallon pumper at the southern end of the District, as well as the Squad.

A definitive 'thank you' to Chuck Hickman and the Fruit Growers Company, for the use of the schoolhouse, its wintertime heat, and the use of this excellent, insured, local-response vehicle.

Jerry Keller of the California Dept. of Forestry donated wildland firefighting clothing (jackets and pants) to us through the Hilt VFD this past year. New firefighting gear is very expensive, and this very welcome contribution will save us considerably. Thank you, Jerry Keller.

Chief Darin Quigley of CDF's Fire Dept. in Weed donated two air packs and self-contained breathing apparatus masks for fighting structure fires. These are also very expensive items. Thank you, Chief Quigley.
Also from CDF, Gib Anderson rebuilt a "foam unit" and gave it to the Hilt VFD. This is a portable unit, requiring only a can of foam, and can be a real asset in firefighting. Thanks, Gib!

Siskiyou County Sheriff Charlie Byrd donated three radios to the Hilt VFD; they are downsized models, but have very good range, and are outfitted with batteries and chargers. As communications radios is still one of our less funded items, because of the expense, we are grateful to receive these units. Thank you, Sheriff Byrd.

Among additional local volunteer contributions, Lisa Buttrey, John Marin, and CRFD Board member Nancy Carlson have privately formed a committee to work on voluntary participation in establishing better identification of residences within the district, by posting visible house numbers and road signs for 911 - Emergency Response Access purposes.

While the Fire District is not engaged in any formal program to do this, as some districts have, we are urging everyone to voluntarily make their residences, and the back roads you may live on, easier to find, for emergency situations. Thank you, Lisa, John, and Nancy, for working with the community on this.

A big thanks to Sharron Halvorson and Kay Henry, who are preparing our Annual Budget, for submission to Jackson County this June. The budget will be proposed before the Board and publicly posted in mid-May, before being finalized. Sharron reports that this year's budget is tailored to "real money" rather than projected tax-base revenue, since there is a 6 % to 8 % discrepancy between the two figures.

Sharron and Kay are not Board members, but have again agreed to take on this tedious job on our behalf. The Board is very thankful for their expertise help.

Last but still very importantly, a huge thanks to Steve Avgeris, for completing the maintenance on all of the District's vehicles this past winter, and to John Moody, who also helped out with this time-consuming, but vital, work. The details involved are too numerous to list; the result, however, is that all eight of our vehicles are in fine running condition.

Parts and other expenses have been minimized as much as possible. Pumper 44-13 now has all-new tires, thanks to Les Schwab Tires in Ashland, which offered us a good trade-in price for the old ones. As most people well know, labor costs are the most prohibitive; Steve's labor on 44-12, alone, totals over $375. After all of this work, we are still within our maintenance budget. If we had had to hire out the work done by Steve and John, we wouldn't be. THANKS, GUYS!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Ed.: A lot has gone on this year, and the above list goes back a full year. If your name doesn't appear here for your contribution to the Fire District, please let us know and we will mention you in our June news.]


Why must we fundraise, and solicit donations?

Since its inception several years ago, the Fire District's tax base has been able to fund most of our basic operating expenses. However, as our population in the valley has increased, our service needs have also increased, in relation to this growth. The demand for our fire protection and medical services by adjacent districts and agencies, with which we have mutual aid and automatic aid agreements, has also increased.

We therefore have done our best to meet these service demands, by engaging in a higher, more professional level of service, through our training programs and equipment augmentation, in accord with the growing needs of our own community and other agencies with whom we work.

These additional service requirements that our District must legally strive to meet, places additional demands upon our base budget. We are in the precarious position of being mandated by Jackson County to provide the services we do, without having the full funding to do it (not unlike local schools, police, and other government agencies!).

As an all-volunteer Fire District, we could not function without the back-up aid and occasionally, the equipment support, of other agencies with whom we have aid agreements. Nor could we jeopardize our own community by limiting our services, in order to remain within our tax base budget.

Therefore, we go forward on a "shoeshine and a smile," as playwright Arthur Miller says, trusting that the financial end of our affairs will somehow come together. The strong support we receive from our own residents, and from "friends of the District" among neighboring agencies and private sources, allows us to make up the difference between what our tax-base covers, and what our actual operating expenses are, and to continue.

Bear this in mind, as you peruse the above-listed catalogue of supporters.

CRFD'S MEDICAL UNIT NEEDS EQUIPMENT

Cheri Avgeris, who heads the Fire District's Medical Response Team, informs us that the unit is without an emergency response defibrillator for heart attack victims.

Based on the kinds of calls the district is getting, we need to be able to have this item on hand during emergency situations. Two calls for medical assistance this past winter that did not initiate as heart failure crises became more critical due to stalled traffic during storms.

While other medical response units outside of our district were able to provide additional assistance in these instances, we cannot normally depend upon other agencies' units for rapid response within our area.

Immediate response to a medical emergency is as vital as it is to a regular fire call. As experienced responders know, a regular fire call can also become a medical emergency, since the stress of any crisis can provoke a medical crisis in turn.

The established time frame for initial response to a cardiac arrest call is ten minutes. The nearest defibrillator unit is in Ashland, which is too far for a response unit to arrive in most of our district within the necessary time frame.

We are unable to afford to outfit our medical response unit with defibrillator service under the current budget.

We are therefore attempting to raise the necessary additional funds with a second fundraiser (possibly a used-book sale, with donations by Colestin community members). Call us for details, or watch for flyers posted at the Stateline Store in Hilt.

Portable cardiac AED (Automated External Defibrillator): The cost of a defibrillator is $ 3,520. per unit.