Residential and Commercial forms

 It is our pleasure to serve our community. Our community is ever growing

and changing. With the responsibility of the welfare and safety of our community,

we as a fire department must grow and change as well. To do so takes funding.

We receive on average $40,000 a year from the county, and with the need to

grow and raising costs from inflation this is not enough. Our department does

apply for grants regularly, but grants are not guaranteed. We cannot leave the

well-being of our community up to chance. That is why starting on March 1st of

2023 Haletown Fire Department will be reenacting the department’s

subscription-based service at a rate of $35 a year per residence.

HVFD is a 501(c) Private Non-Profit Organization.

Breakdown of Department Costs

Annual Utilities $2,600    Gear for one firefighter $4,000

Dept Insurance $10,000    200ft Fire Hose $800

Annual Fuel Cost $4,300    Vehicle Maintenance $2,000

SCBA (Airpack) $1,000-$10,000    Annual Training $7,000

It costs $39,000 a year to baseline pay for our department, and that is not

including buying new equipment. Most firefighting equipment is required by law

to be replaced regularly. For SCBA systems (The air packs we wear on our back to

breathe) they must be replaced at the latest every 16 years. Turnout gear (our

protective clothing) must be replaced every 10 years. With our roster of 14

firefighters, this adds up. To grow and better serve our community, we need

funding. There are still several pieces of required vital equipment that are missing

from our trucks because we simply do not have the funding to purchase them.

Haletown Fire has been using a third-party billing system to bill for response

called Fire Recovery. We want to give you, our community, a chance to bypass an

unneeded bill. For a simple annual subscription fee of $35 this can be

accomplished.

Itemized Billing Costs for Response

Per Fire Apparatus $503 per hour Per Firefighter (per hour) $62

Vehicle Incidents $546-$760 Chief Response $315

Extrication $1,641 Landing Zone (Lifeforce) $502

Hazmat $881-$7,426 Fire Investigation $346

Water Rescue $503-$1006 Illegal Fires (No Permit) $503

This subscription does not only apply to your home. One $35 subscription a year

per single family residential dwelling covers everyone listed in your home on

any response in our area. That includes firefighting, water rescue, vehicle wrecks

and fires, land rescue, and eventually medical response by fire personnel.

Subscription Service is Not A Fire Insurance Policy

HVFD Will respond to ALL CALLS

Subscription Service Only Applies to Billing

Commercial Properties

Commercial Properties will have their own itemized annual subscription

fee. Commercial Subscription rates will be $35 per structure 40 sq. feet to 4,000

sq. feet. Structures over 4,000 square feet will be $75 per structure per year. For

rental properties an additional rate of $15 per renting space per year shall be

included. Rental properties are listed as but not limited to full time and short-

term rental homes, apartment complexes, campgrounds, marinas, hotels, RV

parks, storage properties, etc. Government-owned properties are exempt from

subscription service and billing.

Property Owner(s) are liable for paying Subscription Fee

Billing of Dept Services is directed towards Property Owner(s)

Full-time rental residents may pay residential subscription to exempt

billing of response outside of rental property

We understand that in this time of economic hardship that a subscription

fee may seem like an additional burden. That is why we have settled at a rate of

$35 a year; the lowest subscription rate of any fire department in the state. With

additional funding coming from the subscription-based service we will be able to

buy additional tools, equipment, and apparatuses that will lower our ISO Rating.

The department’s ISO rating directly influences your home insurance rate. The

lower our ISO rating, the more affordable your insurance will be.

We want to state again that the subscription-based service is not fire

insurance. We will respond to every emergency as promptly as possible and will

render service and assistance to the best of our ability. Paying the subscription

exempts billing of the event by HALETOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT and Fire Recovery.

Haletown Fire Department is a 501(c) private non-profit organization led by

the Fire Chief and overseen by the financial board. Upon request, a full

breakdown of financial spending is available. The board meets every second

Thursday of the month at 5:30 PM CST at the Haletown Fire Hall. The board meeting is

open to the public, and we would be more than happy to answer any questions

you may have. You may also email us at haletownvfd@gmail.com or reach us

through Facebook or our website.

The subscription is tax-deductible.

State of Tennessee Ruling on Fire Subscriptions:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tacir/commission-meetings/2013-june/Tab7_Fire.pdf