Colton Volunteer Fire Department 2026 Annual Fund Drive |
| By Colton Volunteer Fire Department | |
| May 29, 2026 | |
| Dear Friends and Neighbors, On behalf of the Colton Volunteer Fire Department, we would like to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude for your support over the years. Your generosity is the backbone of our ability to provide quick and efficient service for our community. Understanding Our Funding To clarify how our services are funded, many neighbors are unaware that the Fire District and the Fire Department are separate entities. While the Fire District has taxing authority to fund fire-related operations, it does not fund the rescue squad. Our ambulances, EMT services, and lifesaving medical equipment rely, almost entirely, on community donations, grants, and independent fundraising efforts. The Rising Cost of Lifesaving Care and Fire Equipment Providing modern emergency services and medical care is increasingly expensive. To maintain the high level of service you expect, we must regularly replace aging equipment that has reached the end of its serviceable life. To give you a sense of the current financial challenges we face: Heart Monitors: Our current units are over twelve years old and can no longer be serviced. New monitors cost approximately $65,000 each, and we need two. Stretchers: A single modern stretcher now costs roughly $26,000. Ambulances: One of our two rigs is ten years old and requires replacement; a new ambulance currently costs over $400,000. We are proud to share that we now have two Paramedic-level EMTs on our team who are capable of providing a significantly higher level of care to our patients. However, to fully utilize their skills and operate at this advanced level, our ambulances must undergo mandatory and costly upgrades and inspections to meet New York State Paramedic-level requirements. Our volunteers remain incredibly active. In 2025 alone, we responded to over 400 calls, which included more than 300 rescue calls and over 100 fire calls. We are committed to being there as fast as we can, but as the number of active volunteers dwindles across Northern New York, we need your help more than ever. We are always actively seeking new members to help us meet these growing demands. Whether you are interested in frontline response or supporting the department in other ways, there is a place for you. Active Responders are our firefighters and EMTs. Associate/Auxiliary Members help us manage department events and administrative tasks. RAMs, our Restricted Access Membership is available for students aged 16–17 who want to get involved early. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at coltonfire.org to express your interest. Thank you again for your continued partnership. No donation is too small, and every dollar is used wisely to protect the lives and property of our Colton neighbors. Respectfully Yours, Aaron Johnson, Chief, Colton Volunteer Fire Department |
|