Fundraising Events, Donations & Contributions

The Surf City Volunteer Fire Department is a not-for-profit organization. A majority of the funds we receive to provide the services that we work constantly to improve are from tax revenues from the County of Pender and small portions from the Town of Surf City.

The State of North Carolina holds volunteer fire departments to the same standards of service and operation as municipal departments. We are required to have current insurance policies in place for our buildings, trucks, equipment and personnel. Unfortunately this insurance does not come at a low price.

With the ever increasing cost of insurance, electricity, fuel, equipment repair and maintenance, we find ourselves having to rearrange our financial priorities to ensure that the services we provide to our wonderful and supportive community do not go by the wayside. 

Current Events:

We currently have no fund raising events in progress at this time. Please check back often.

Upcoming Events:

We are always in the process of planning fundraisers all throughout the year. Find and "Like" us on Facebook HERE to keep up to date on fundraising events as they are posted.

Previous Events:

2011 (24th Annual) Annual Turkey Shoot

Thanks to everyone that came out to our 2011 (24th Annual) Turkey Shoot. Thanks to your patronage and support, the 2011 shoot was a huge success, as it is every year. The funds that were raised allowed us to purchase much needed supplies and services so we can continue providing quality fire protection services to our community. Thanks to everyone that came out this year, and we really look forward to seeing you next year!

Year-long Events:

We are always looking for new and creative ways for fundraising events. If you have an idea or suggestion, please contact us to share your ideas.

Insurance Ratings

In a sincere effort to keep the level of service to our community at a higher standard, we are constantly working to improve our level of service along with our Insurance Classification Rating. This rating is on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best level of fire protection available and 10 being no fire protection available. Currently our fire district (Northeast Pender Fire District) is rated as a split of 6/9S. A Class 9S is slightly above a standard Class 9 department. Any areas of our disctrict that are within 1000 feet of an established waterpoint (fire hydrant etc) are classified at an ISO Class 6. The lower the Insurance Rating, the lower a portion of your homeowner's insurance premium can be, as long as your insurance company recognizes ISO Ratings for fire departments.

Grants

We utilize funds from donations and contributions to assist us with our daily operations. We also utilize donations to assist with matching grants from the State of North Carolina and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These grants allow us to purchase the necessary tools and equipment that would otherwise be unaffordable for small volunteer fire departments like us. 

The state of North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal offers a 50/50 matching grant. This grant works on the principle of the fire department providing 50 percent of the total requested funds, while the state matches that amount with the other 50 percent to provide the requested total. For example, if the fire department is requesting a total of 7,000.00 on the grant, the State provides 3,500.00 and the department provides the other 3,500.00. We usually request this grant each year and utilize it to purchase newer communications equipment, self contained breathing apparatus, personal protective equipment, newer hand and power tools, or hoses and appliances to be used on a fire scene.

The FEMA Assistance Grant to Firefighters is a nationwide program for fire departments. This grant assists on an entirely different level of funding. The grant works on the principle of the fire department providing 5 percent of the total request funds, while FEMA provides the remaining 95 percent. For example, if the fire department is requesting 100,000.00 in total funds, FEMA provides 95,000.00 while the requesting fire department provides the remaining 5,000.00. We request funds on this grant each year as many other departments in the United States, however we have only received funds from it one time. When a department applies for this grant, the application package goes through a rigorous review and itemization process. Several different committees review each and every request and the additional information provided by each department. After a lengthy review process, these committees approve and release funding to the department fortunate enough to have been selected. We used the funds from this grant to purchase newer and updated personal protective equipment (turnout coats, pants, boots, gloves and helmets) for our firefighters. Over 50 percent of the personal protective clothing we had in our inventory was out of date and not up to the current NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards for safety.

Donations & Other Tidbits

We are always accepting donations from any source. Anyone that makes a donation can receive a donation receipt if they wish, for tax purposes. If you wish to make a donation, we would love to know who you are, however anonymous donations and contributions are always welcome in the same ways.

To those individuals, families, companies and organizations that have made contributions to us in the past, we would like to give our sincere thanks to each and every one of you.

Thank you for you continued support! Without our community by our side, our department could not exist and help in the ways we do.

THANK YOU!!

Surf City VFD Turkey Shoot

This page is currently under construction and will be updated soon. 

Please check back here often.

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