CURRENT PROJECTS
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Loon Lake Volunteer Fire Department is a 501(c)(3) organization (File number D1268458-15131321, which means your donations will be tax deductible. While we receive an operating budget from private donors and campaign's, as a volunteer agency, we also need to fundraise to maintain our current state of readiness and verify that all equipment is within the federal NFPA guidelines and standards. The operating budget covers the bare minimum of what it costs to run a professional, efficient fire department and rescue squad. Our members do not receive any financial reimbursement for the time they donate for training, equipment and truck maintenance or responding to emergency calls. All of the operating budget is spent on the basics to run the department, such as fuel costs, utilities and consumables, equipment maintenance, personal protective equipment etc.
As such, donations to our fundraising account are helpful and needed. This account is used for the up-fitting of new trucks (including Engine fire apparatus, Ambulance consumables, training delivery platforms etc), for some of our public education activities, and for additional equipment when it is outside of the operating budget in a given year. There are several ways you can help your Fire Department.
Monetary Donations
Your monetary donations are 100% tax deductible once the IRS tax status is approved. We will send you an invitation with the deduction information for all donations. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 550 Trego, MT 59934.
Donations of Vehicles
In order to remain ready for all emergencies, our firefighters and EMTs train regularly. Some of this training is focused on vehicle extrication after a crash. If you have an vehicle you are getting rid of, consider donating it to the department for training purposes. We can provide you with a tax letter noting the donation of the vehicle and the blue book value for your records. Several people in our community have taken advantage of this with cars that no longer are running or that are no longer able to be inspected. We then use the cars in several training evolutions to practice our skills to remain ready to help you in the case of an accident.
Amazon Smile
The Loon Lake Volunteer Fire Department will be registered with Amazon Smile. Do you shop on Amazon? We do!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support our Fire Department every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.
RURAL WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Develop, design and implement a water distribution system and provide recognizable and standardized fire department access to available rural water supplies wherever feasible.
Design Goals:
Measure Rural water supply availability for systems providing a minimum flow of 500 GPM for 20 minutes, whenever possible, through an approved fire hydrant.
Determine ISO classification
Account for Divergence
Asses water supply delivery requirements
WILDLAND MITIGATION BEGINS WITH YOU!
The beauty and seclusion of being surrounded by a natural forest can shift to terror and loss if a range fire ignites near your home.
Over the years Loon Lake and Trego have had some wildfires roar through the area, burning brush and trees, and threatening homes. As more homes are built, the odds of loosing structures in the face of a wildfire increase.
However, homeowners do not have to feel powerless over what will happen if a wildfire advances toward your home. By thinking ahead (way ahead), and taking steps to protect your property, you can greatly improve the chances of keeping the fire at bay.
Many of us have narrow dirt roads leading to our homes. Although this may be adequate for our own access, will it accommodate a fire truck? Is there room for a fire truck to turn around? If the Loon Lake Fire Department cannot get to your home, and get turned around to exit, possibly in a hurry, there is not much they can do to help you. They cannot risk the lives of firefighters. Contact them to find out what you need to do to accommodate their services through a pre-incident planning consult at no cost.
If you are building your own home, you can choose materials that are less flammable. The most obvious is a metal roof. That is only a start!
You also need to assess the surrounding landscape. How close are the trees and vegetation to your home?
If you are ready to take this issue seriously, reach out to us and we can preform a pre-incident plan. It includes some great material on assessing your risk, and detailed instructions on what you can do to lower it.