The Culver Union Township Fire Department is pleased to announce that they are launching a public fundraiser October 5th through November 18th, to coincide with national fire prevention week October 7 – 13th, with the goal of raising a total of $200,000 in donations by Sunday, November 18th. A departmental open house will be held on Friday, October 5th from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Culver Union Township Fire Station, 508 East Lakeshore Drive in Culver to kick off the fundraiser and provide a vehicle demonstration for the public and Culver Boys and Girls Club. The fire department has been discussing the need for an aerial platform truck with key stakeholders over the last several months, and has experienced a positive response so far, with over $130,000 of the $200,000 pledged or donated from individuals and organizations to date.
With regards to the need for this type of truck in the Culver area, the nearest similar truck is in Plymouth, and would have a 25-35-minute response time to fires in the Culver and Union Township area. This type of truck allows the department to provide safe rescue from three story or higher buildings, something they cannot currently do. For example, if a fire starts on the lower level of three or four-story building, and residents are trapped on the upper levels, Culver Fire currently has no reliable way of reaching them. Aerial trucks also have the advantage of giving firefighters the ability to fight structure fires from above, pumping water down towards the fire from a safer location. An aerial platform truck with a pump installed would also improve the ability to fight fires from above structures on lots with smaller setbacks between houses.
The Culver Fire Department is open to donations from individuals or funding agreements with partner organizations running anywhere from one year to five years, and they hope to begin the process of ordering the truck in early 2019. Charitable contributions to governmental units such as the Culver Union Township Fire Department are tax-deductible under section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code so long as the donations are for a public purpose.
Donations can be made at town hall in person Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or by check to Town Hall, 200 E Washington Street. Please write “fire truck donation” on the memo line. Online donations can be made by going to https://paygov.us/ and selecting make a payment, Town of Culver, Fire Truck Donation under payment type (online donations will incur a 3% card processing fee) or the full direct link is: https://pay.paygov.us/EndUser/PaymentAgency.aspx?ttid=19608.
Donor levels:
Platinum Sponsors $50,000 or higher: One available, one pledge received
Gold Sponsors $20,000 to $50,000: Two available
Silver Sponsors $5,000 to $19,999: Two available, two pledges received
Bronze Sponsor $1,000 to $4,999: Six available, two pledges received
Friends of CUTFD $10 to $999: no restrictions
Gold and Platinum sponsors will receive recognition via plaque on the fire truck itself. Silver and Bronze sponsors will be recognized on a plaque at the Culver Fire Station. All donors will be recognized online via Facebook and in print upon purchase of the vehicle, unless anonymity is requested. The Culver Fire Department would also like to offer a special thank you to Culver Academies, Dixie Becker, Duke Downey, Joe and Noreen Faulkner, Park N Shop, and several others for contributing to the fundraising effort early on. Regular updates on the fundraiser will be provided on the town website, Facebook page, and through updates to local media outlets.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Leist, Town Manager at 574-842-3140 or jleist@townofculver.org.
