New London Fire Company depends on fundraising to buy new truck

The London Fire Company is struggling to find enoughmoney to pay for a new truck to replace the one it has used for the past 20 years.

"It's very important that we have her. And it'll benefit thecommunities a lot because it is a more modern truck with moremodern equipment on it," Fire Chief Allen Cole said.

The department serves nine communities and goes on calls everyweek, about 60 in the run of a year.

A new truck will cost $416,000.

Less than half of that has been raised so far and the truck is due in October.

"The more we can bring in, the sooner we can pay the truck offwhich saves us money on interest and everything," Cole said.

"We play a very big part in the community as we're in the centreof all our districts so if you have an emergency, we're withinminutes of arriving on scene from the time of the call. Where if we weren't here, it would be a longer response time."

Volunteers essential to small departments

Most small fire departments on P.E.I. are run completely byvolunteers, including the one in New London which has 55.

The P.E.I. Firefighters Association says it's not uncommon for small departments to have to fundraise for new equipment.

"Well it is hard on them and honestly I think it's crazy that thedepartments have to volunteer all their time fighting fires anddoing medical calls and then on the weekends and throughoutthe year they're doing lobster suppers and fundraisers and bootdrives and car washes and whatever else it takes to bring insome extra money." association president Jason Peters said.

Small fire departments are funded by taxes from communitymembers.

But it's often not enough to keep departments going.

"We have a vast area, but it's not a populated area as what someareas might be as if you were closer to major cities and thingslike that," John MacIsaac, vice president of New LondonFire Company's board of directors.

"The tax base isn't quite there as what there would be in largercentres."

The New London Fire Company will continue to fundraise so itcan pay off the new truck...and start upgrading other equipmentit needs.

The next fundraiser is a concert at the New London CommunityComplex in a couple weeks.