VIDEO: The sign in front of the fire house for Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder in Syndersville is a rotation of upcoming fundraisers.ย Chief Paul Warnick says it is becoming more expensive than ever to keep the fire company running to cover Hamilton and Ross Townships, plus provide mutual aid to other departments.ย “It’s getting to the point where we are spending more time on fundraising on our drill nights than training. We are trying to figure out things for the fireman’s festival, chicken barbecue dinners, for raffle tickets,” said Chief Paul Warnick.ย
The chief tells Newswatch 16 in its latest letter drive to get donations from residents in Hamilton and Ross Townships that only about 13% of them donated. So, the department is looking for other ways to bring in funding.ย “It’s the only way to ensure a budget to keep the fire company moving forward in a good direction. It’s hard in this day in age to run a budget hoping people donate,” said Warnick.ย The townships provide some funding, but officials say it doesn’t go far.ย The fire company is in talks with supervisors at Hamilton and Ross Townships about the possibility of enacting a fire tax.ย “It would be between 60 to 100 dollars per household annually, and that would more than fund a fire company, so the budget wouldn’t be an issue anymore,” explained Warnick.ย
