Pattye Benson

Tonight’s Board of Supervisor meeting made me feel like the kid on Christmas morning. You know after weeks of anticipation, it’s finally Christmas morning. You get up early, race to see what Santa has brought, rip open the presents and then a short time later you have that letdown is that all there is kind of feeling.

Although tonight’s Board of Supervisor meeting certainly had its high points, I came away feeling it was a bit anti-climatic based on the intensity which developed over the last couple of weeks. The meeting did get off to a very exciting start though — the fire company members arrived in force and brought fire trucks for effect! Young and old firefighters lined up around the entire perimeter of Keene Hall creating a very moving visual statement. CBS 3 Eyewitness News reporter and photographer filmed the meeting! I just watched the news – only about 15 seconds worth made it to the news!

Chairman Warren Kampf opened the meeting explaining that we would not follow the agenda, but rather start with the budget. Prior to opening the discussion on the budget, Mr. Kampf announced that there had been a fundraising effort by some of the supervisors over the last couple of weeks to raise funds for the fire companies to make up for their proposed budget contribution cuts. Through private donations, the Holiday Contribution Drive raised $23,200. Mr. Kampf read a long list of businesses and individuals who had made contributions (list included Comcast, Fellini’s, San Nicola, etc.). I have a feeling that this money was received in pledge format, so I am a bit concerned about the follow-up and collection.

With the money coming in from private donations to support the fire department’s reinstatement of the proposed budget cuts, there was no reason not to approve the budget. There was some shared concerned from audience members that this private donation check to the fire companies is a quick-fix for the 2010 budget and that the money does not represent a longterm solution. And there were many in the audience who believed that funding emergency services should be 100% funded by all taxpayers through the township budget rather than with private donations. (A sentiment shared by Supervisor JD DiBuonaventuro.) In fact, Berwyn Fire Department president Rip Tilden delivered a very passionate commentary concerning the ongoing and future needs of the fire company. Although Mr. Tilden (as well as the representatives from Paoli and Radnor fire companies) are extremely grateful for this show of community support, we were all left wondering why it required such an outpouring of energy, ePetition, letters to the editor, blog postings, etc. over the last couple of weeks. Remember, if we had to pay for the volunteer services of these firefighters it is estimated at $7-12 Million yearly. Here’s hoping that all supervisors (including those taking office in a few weeks) will remember tonight’s meeting when work begins on the 2011 budget. In the end, the budget passed 6-1 (Supervisor Mark DiFeliciantonio was the only vote of opposition). It should also be noted that Supervisor DiFeliciantonio left the Board of Supervisor meeting once the budget vote was taken. His departure struck me as highly inappropriate as all departing supervisors were to be officially honored during tonight’s meeting.

There were other noteworthy items discussed during this meeting (including the accolades for the departing supervisors, update on St. Davids Golf Club’s $50K sidewalk offer, etc.) but I think that discussion will have to wait until tomorrow. And I’m also hoping that a couple of my friends who attended tonight’s Board of Supervisor meeting will offer their personal insights.

The following comment just came in from Berwyn firefighter Mike Baskin in regards to fire company fundraising. Although I posted this comment with the appropriate blog posting, I think Mike’s comments deserve more attention. Please take the time to review Mike’s thorough examination of this local fire company’s fundraising efforts. Remember, all this fundraising is in addition to fighting fires!

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I can further add information about Berwyn’s Fund raising. It is important that people know as much information as they can about the fire companies and what they do.
I served as fund raising coordinator at Berwyn for 5 years from 2001 – 2006. It was some of the most frustrating years of my life…I lost far too much hair on my head those years.
Frustrations:
1) Motivating volunteers who already give hundreds of hour to training and running calls to put in time to fund raise. Fund raising is not why they joined.
2) Fund raising is not as easy as it sounds. During my time as coordinator, I probably had 200 conversations with local residents who stated they don’t donate because they pay taxes. When they are advised how little of their taxes go to the fire companies, they feel that it still should not be their responsibility to have to pay more money on their own. It’s a losing battle.
3) I was often told that we need to do a better job of getting our message out there. Every fund raising letter that was sent out (2 times per year per household) had the breakdown of where our funding comes from and the importance of the funding. How many people do you think open this letter? How many people do you think treat it as junk mail and put it right in the trash?
4) Businesses… We have our few reliable, local, mom & pop business that contribute regularly each year (and a few others). But for the most part, the larger businesses are too busy, too difficult to contact the right person without weeks of games, or are often not headquartered in our area. Getting money out of businesses is a full time job. The small shops who struggle to stay in business donate, but the big boys won’t play. We appreciate what we receive by our businesses, as it is such a small number, every dollar counts.
5) I personally spent over a thousand hours over 3 years putting together the revitalization of the Berwyn Fair. We did 2 years, Very Few Came.
The Horse show was too expensive to hold it there, we weren’t welcomed anywhere else. We had trouble finding ride companies to do it based on poor attendance.
6) If people are hurting for money, they won’t donate, and that is simple arithmetic.

As far as statistics: (note: this is Berwyn numbers only)
In 2008
Fire Fund drive (10,000 residents) = approx 25% return
EMS Fund Drive (same 10,000 residents later in the year) = approx 25% return
*overall: approximately 32% of 10,000 residents donated once, therefore some residents donated twice. But that means 68% of residents do not donate at all.
Business Drive (2200 businesses) = 5% return, therefore 95% of business do not donate.

2009 Numbers are slightly lower, probably to the tune of 8-10%, but final numbers are not in and some people wait until the end of December (tax time).

The fire company has anticipated another decrease for 2010.

I stepped down as fund raising chair after 5 years because I grew tired of the frustrations noted above. Fund raising at many non-profit organizations is an employed position. Berwyn Fire Co raises over $200,000 of money on our own. It is the equivilant of a part time job by itself to coordinate that, but it’s being done by volunteers. To do more would be a lot to ask, especially at a time when so many are out of work or on fixed incomes…. the money is harder to ask for and receive.

A bit more about me… (because I feel as though the interpersonal aspects of the volunteer world get lost very easy)
I have been a member of Berwyn Fire Co for 13 years as a Fire Police Officer & EMT. I have logged over 700 hours of formal certification training in my time. I Have served three three-year terms as Captain of the Fire Police (which also holds a Board of Director’s seat). So therefore I have been a Board of Director for 9 years. I was recently re-elected to another 2 year term which begins January 7th. In my younger days, I averaged 300-400 Fire calls per year and another 300-400 ambulance calls per year… In the last 4 or 5 years I have significantly grown a business from scratch that I stated as a young businessman out of college 8 years ago. So these days, I run closer to 200 fire calls and 100 Ambulance calls. In my time at the fire company, I have served my community well with a variety of plaques on my wall, which have minimal amount of value in comparison to the lives I have helped save and protect.

I am not unique. The Berwyn Fire Company has many many members who each have their own list of accomplishments and values they add to the table. We are filled with a variety of people from CEO’s, Chemists, Police Officers, Architects, Mechanics, and the list goes on.

Thanks for your time, and considerations on this matter. Politics aside, if this reaches people so they learn more, it did it’s job today.

Respectfully,
Mike Baskin