Tolland Volunteer Fire Dept Inc

The Tolland Volunteer Fire Department truly needs your help. The town of Tolland is located in rural, mountainous western Massachusetts. Tolland, and the five communities which surround it, are very similar in terrain, road conditions (poor) and water supply (no fixed hydrants, only ponds and streams). In total, this area covers 278+ square miles. These communities also share similar financial problems. School, fire, police and highway budgets are all overburdened in a severely depressed state and national economy; compounded by huge cuts in state aid to towns. These towns are dependent on volunteers for all aid provided by their fire services.

Because of these overwhelming physical obstacles and budgetary constraints, our only hope of dealing with any call is to be ready to respond on every fire call in our area. This process ensures a sufficient response on every call.

Due to the economy and employment conditions, the Town has had to "level fund" the Department for the past three years. The town’s ability to raise funds has been hurt by massive cuts in state aid to cities and town as well as the downturn in the economy. A large portion of the "breadwinners" in our town are employed in the construction business.  All real estate tax revenues rest solely on the shoulders of the town’s real estate owners as there is no commercial or industrial base. Also new funding requirements are on the horizon for regional school building programs

Due to the ice storm of December 2008 and last year’s early blizzard, the forest land in the Town is littered with dead branches and downed trees which would supply a highly combustible source of material to feed and sustain a major forest fire. It is impossible to put into words the size and scope of the fallen branches and trees that are scattered in the forests of Tolland. If a forest fire ignites and starts to spread, it will require a major firefighting effort and many gallons of water to control. All of Tolland’s homes are surrounded by forest.

While the community is stretched to the limit financially, it has improved its emergency response preparedness by the commitment to construct a new “Public Safety Complex” and funding a new Rescue truck in 2008. This represents a commitment of $2,175,000 to improve emergency services in the past five years, all paid for by the citizens of Tolland. Seventy nine percent of the land in Tolland is taxed at zero or the lowest possible rate.

We have conducted numerous fundraisers within the Town and the residents have given well above and beyond their means including accepting the tax increases for the new infrastructure improvements and the rescue truck.

With our infrastructure in place, it is now time to address the rest of the critical issues facing our public safety team.  They include:

• Upgrading our forest fire fighting capabilities
• Replacing our aging fire engines
• Installing snow blocks on the roof of the firehouse to guard against roof snow blocking apparatus from exiting the building
• Funding firefighter training for current and new firefighters
• Replacing our ancient auto accident victim extrication tools
• Replacing our aging police SUV used to haul emergency equipment
• Acquiring a suitable boat for water rescue
• More adequately protecting our emergency services equipment and personnel

While the department’s primary mission is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Tolland, we are often called upon to support our neighboring towns with equipment and personnel. . Through our centralized call center, Tolland has in-place automatic aid agreements with the adjacent towns of Otis, Sandisfield and Granville. We provide mutual aid to Blandford, MA as well as West Hartland and Colebrook, CT.

We have established a 501c3 organization to raise funds to supplement the town provided funding.  This organization composed of firefighters and citizens will determine spending priorities on meting out any funds we receive from this effort.

To be able to save a life is a wonderful gift.  Should you donate, you will be participating in protecting the lives and property of residents of Western Massachusetts.

We wish to thank all of those potential donors who have taken the time to visit our site and read our story.  Our citizens have really stepped up build a solid infrastructure for our Emergency Services operations.  They are unable, at this point, to come up with any more funding for these very critical needs.  We must rely on generous people of good will such as you. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.