Fundraisers
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Your fire department has been hard at work. Due to the caution taken by residents, property owners, and visitors, the community has experienced very few serious incidents requiring the fire department to be called. As of December 31, 2011 the fire department handled 147 calls: Click here to view a breakdown.
As part of the process of handling these calls, the county dispatcher faxes over a call sheet that goes into a record book. Records indicate the personnel who report out for each call by their signature. Each call is then entered into a computer program that is called NFIERS (National Fire Incident Reporting System). Every fire department in the country is now required to file reports in this system.
The department now has 33 people on the roster. Three are new junior firefighters. Meetings are held twice a month. During the meetings, personnel inventory the trucks; do maintenance checks on the trucks and pumps, conduct training exercises, review policies, and repair equipment.
As required by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), once a year all trucks have to be weighed, inspected, and all equipment tested and repaired by a qualified inspector. This usually costs about $4000.00. The department is required to test all hoses once a year to see that they are in good working condition. All water hydrants on the island are tested each year to see that they meet the required specifications. The NC Office of the State Fire Marshal can call for an inspection at any time on individual departments, so it is necessary to keep accurate records showing that work is being completed each year.
Each department keeps a book of Standing Operating Guidelines (SOG). These are guidelines they write specific to the individual department giving directions for work that must be completed.
Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department
215 Back Road PO Box 332
Ocracoke, NC 27960
252-928-4692
E-Mail: OcracokeVFD@gmail.com
Copyright Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department 2009
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2012 Newsletter
Running a fire department is no longer left up to the individual group to decide what they want to do, but they are now required to strictly follow state and federal guidelines. Just keeping the equipment in working order and keeping the paperwork updated is fulltime work for the station personnel.
Some of the expenses this year came from Hurricane Irene damage to the building. The roof had to be replaced at $4,974.54, as well as some of the siding, plus a side door that will be replaced this winter. Truck 62 had to have two tires replaced at $817.56. Another tire had to be repaired this spring. OFPA applied for and received a $9,551.21 matching grant from the NC State Fire Marshal Office. This grant covered the cost of firefighting equipment that needed to be added to the inventory. The annual inspection and repairs for the trucks was completed in November at a cost of $3,546.27.
Thanks to the many fire department friends, the 6th Annual Memorial Day Firemen’s Ball brought in $61,182.31. From December 01, 2010 to November 30, 2011 we have received $50,273.00 in donations. After paying off expenses this year ($78,443.93), part of the remainder will be placed in our building fund.
On January 29, 2010 a letter was sent to you that included a survey. At the time the Ocracoke Sanitary District Board was considering levying a small tax for the fire department and wanted to know the feelings of the property owners. The surveys that were returned indicated that 85% of the property owners were in favor of the tax and 15% were not in favor. At this time the OFPA has been unable to secure a funding tax through the Sanitary District Board.
The OFPA board met this fall and made two important decisions:
The first decision was to begin the process of getting a state fire tax put into place for the Ocracoke fire district. The fire tax would provide the department with a steady income that would allow OFPA to have operating expenses each year, to pay off a loan on the new building, and to raise money for purchasing a ladder truck. Starting in January, OFPA will begin the steps necessary to get a fire tax established. Several community meetings will be held to discuss the need for this tax. Local resident freeholders (those who own property on Ocracoke) living in Ocracoke who are registered voters will be asked to sign a petition asking Hyde County Commissioners for permission to put this issue on the ballot. Registered voters who are residents of Ocracoke and own property on Ocracoke will then vote on this issue in a special election. Depending upon when the special election is held and if this vote passes, then the tax would go into effect the following tax year. We hope you will encourage local property owners who are registered voters to not only sign the petition, but to vote in favor of establishing this fire district tax. The support of people who do not own property on Ocracoke, but choose to live here is also imperative. Remember that the department responds to your call whether you own property or not. It is a win win situation for everyone to have a better prepared fire department.
The second decision was to make an application to the federal tax office to change our non-profit status from a 501(c)(4) to a 501(c)(3). This would allow us to be in a position to apply for more grants from foundations. The paperwork on this application is now being prepared.
The first week of October the fire department held another successful fire prevention education week. Two firemen visited the school to discuss fire prevention with the students. An open house was held at the fire department on October 9. Information was passed out and videos were shown. Seventy-six kids and adults attended the event and nineteen firefighters and support personnel were there to educate the visitors.
During December and January a Medical Responder training class is being held for interested firefighters. At the end of the class, participants have to pass a state test which will give them state certification to be a Medical Responder in North Carolina. We are very proud of the people who have turned out to participate in this class. The people who become certified will provide a much needed service to the Ocracoke community.
As a property owner on Ocracoke, the OFPA reminds you that you should do the following:
- Have a reflective house number posted out by the road so that it can be seen easily at night.
- Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year.
- If you have a second story or more on your house, make sure you have an easy egress from those upper floor levels with either a set of steps or an escape ladder.
- Check to see that your home fire extinguishers are up-to-date.
- Have a fire escape plan and discuss it often with your family.
- Keep your street address posted beside or on your phone if you should need to call 911 for an emergency.
Please remember that in order for the Ocracoke Fire Department to keep its 6 rating, the community needs to demonstrate that efforts are being made to build a new firehouse and purchase a ladder track.
You have shown your strong support for the Ocracoke Fire Department. You have made generous donations, purchased t-shirts, and participated in fundraisers. Your fire department is an all volunteer department. They are people you have met, talked with at the post office or coffee shop, or met at bingo or working in the village. They are members of the community who care about your safety and the protection of your property. They turn out no matter what the weather is. In order to operate and prepare for the future needs of the fire department, money is needed to do the job correctly. Thank you for your help.
The Ocracoke Fire Protection Board: Dick Jacoby, President
Ernie Doshier, Vice President
Janey Jacoby, Secretary
Teresa O’Neal, Treasurer
John Ferrara, Member-at-Large
Albert O’Neal, Fire Chief
