Technically if they are funded by donations and those donations are tax deductible and the fire company is non-profit then they are "funded" by taxes as well since the local gov't is allowing taxes that would normally be paid to the gov't not to be paid. The person donating would get a tax deduction and the fire company would not likely not pay property or income tax. If the gov't can get entice people to donate to get a tax deduction that is money the gov't doesn't have to chip in.

The question is not so much about the funding being tax deductable, But why do we expect our volunteer firefighters to not only volunteer time to respond to and train for emergencies but also volunteer time to raise the funds needed to operate.

Well said Bill. It is unfortunate that the Volunteers still need to spend so much time doing fund raisers In my district (Corfu) The tax base is low and divided between 4 company,s in the Town of Pembroke. We have to run raffles or boot drives and a lot of that money is used to replace consumable items, (mostly first aid supplies)
that the district dose not cover and we provide free to the community. Hell we even pay out of our own pockets for our teeshirts.

Fire protection is a service that has been provided by local government to its constituents. Fire protection is directly provided by a branch of the government as is the case with the City of Batavia as well as other departments in the county or by agreement with an outside agency that is capable of providing the service. In all cases, and due to the increased training demands placed on firefighters, fundraising should not be a required activity. The fire service is having a most difficult time first recruiting and then retaining firefighters today because of the commitment of time that has to be made just to do the job. Fundraising places the financial burden of operating YOUR fire department squarely on the shoulders of those who volunteer.

Tiffany, Idea about enticements is good, but if fire departments had to rely on donations...it wouldn't work. People dont think of donating to the FD on a regular basis, although some donate occasionally. It would have to be a HUUUUUGE (as the say in the used car business) enticement.

Only in the case of a municipal department is it the governments responsibility to offer any kind of fire protection. The origins of fire protection comes from insurance companies. You paid a premium and the Insurance company run fire company would protect your property. If you had no policy or missed a payment and had a fire ,, your property burned to the ground. The Corfu Fire department was started after a great conflagration swept the village over 130 years ago. Local men formed a brigade to protect their own property. If you lived out side of town you were out of luck. The Volunteer fire company as we know it today has its origins from civil defense groups during the time of world war ll. The only company s over 125 years old that I know of are Corfu and Leroy 100% volunteer and the City of Batavia, all ways a paid company.
(I think Elba is up there too but Im not sure) The local village government is not responsible to have a fire dept.
The expense's of running a Fire Dept. have increased 10 fold in as many years. Today a "cheap" Pumper costs over $200,000. To outfit just one interior firefighter with coat, bunker pants, gloves,hood, helmet and SCBA is over $5,000

I guess my point was not to begin a debate over who owns the fire department or wether the FD should be controlled, operated or other by the local government, it was more to support the notion that the fire department is an asset to the entire community. And that the community should financially support it without the need to rely on fundraising or the hope of a private donation. I am sure we both agree.

Absolutely Randy, I just wanted to make a point is all. I don't want to sound like "no one understands me guy" Its unfortunate that so many people take any kind of community service for granted. Paid or Unpaid. Police or EMS/Fire service. But I think that those that do most likely DONT read The Batvian any way. :-)