At the October 2021 monthly meeting of the Vigilant Hose Company, the membership voted upon a recommendation from the organization’s board of directors to pay off the remaining mortgage on the fire station, located at 25 W. Main Street, and the balance remaining on the loan for its recently purchased Engine 61. The total debt removed from its books was over $1.3 million dollars.
The ability to achieve this reduction in service debt is directly related to the unbelievable support of the community they service on a daily basis and the excellent planning and fiscal stewardship managed by its board of directors through its planning committee members. It also illustrates the hard work and dedication of the membership in support of the fundraising efforts of the organization.
During the pandemic, the organization has had to come up with some unique and “outside the box” fundraising ideas, several of which have become substantial money-making projects for them. They also understand how the community enjoys Vigilant Hose Company’s many feeds and social events. While these type of events have declined because of the pandemic, the fundraising committee is working towards increasing those events so that they can provide an activity that allows members of our community to attend and interact with individuals they might not have seen in quite a while.
President Tom Ward commented, “It has been nothing but amazing to witness the outpouring of support we have received from our community in support of our fundraising efforts. Without a doubt, our ability to sustain a top-of-the-line fire and ambulance service for the community, with modern equipment and top-notch personnel, could not have occurred nor maintained without our strong community support. For that, I am eternally grateful and appreciative of on a daily basis. On behalf of the men and women of the Vigilant Hose Company, I say thank you to everyone that supports us both monetarily and operationally. You inspire us to continue our daily effort to achieve excellence.”
