Help the Department

It’s nice to know that when you lay down each night, you can rest assured, knowing that your Van Meter Volunteer Fire Department is standing guard over your community. For the last 91 years, we’ve been here around the clock, always ready to spring into action to help you and your neighbors, should disaster strike.

We are dedicated volunteers in this community. We are your neighbors and your emergency is our emergency. We come from all walks of life. We are farmers, small business owners, EMT’s, public employees, industrial workers, landscapers, construction workers, business men/women, mechanics and students.

Our members volunteer their time and energy. We’re on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We don’t work shifts. When the alarm sounds, whether at 3:00 a.m., or in the middle of dinner, we respond. Last year we responded to almost 150 fires, alarms, automobile accidents and other emergency calls. Our fire district covers approximately 160 square miles in Madison and Dallas County. We have 28E (or mutual aid) agreements with DeSoto, Waukee, Adel, Dallas Center, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Norwalk, Winterset and Earlham. Beyond that we are able to respond or call to any entity in the state or nation through the creation of the Homeland Security Act.

These calls were handled by your neighbors volunteering their time with their highly qualified state mandated training both in fire suppression and hazardous materials management. Your donations to the Firefighter’s Association supplement our budget for each firefighter’s multifaceted training and Iowa state certifications. You, our neighbors of Van Meter, solely fund the Firefighter’s Association, which in turn is utilized to support our community and our ability to serve you better.

In these trying economic times, it may not seem appropriate to appeal for your donation. Despite the current economic situation, we still have obligations to meet, obligations that allow us to continue to provide the high level of service that we do.

This department receives little federal or state funding. We must make up the difference through fundraisers. We want you to feel like a partner with our department, and we thank you, for your kind support!

With money raised in past years we are able to purchase the following necessities;

• Firefighter protective gear. Pants, coat, boots, helmet and gloves at a cost of approximately $2,100.00.
• We were able to contribute $30,000.00 to purchase a new Primary pumper.
• We were able to contribute $20,000 for a new 2000 gallon tanker
• We were able to contribute $10,000 for a new Brush Truck that is needed to protect property that can’t be reached with a large size fire engine, using money solely from fire company funds donated by you.

After spending so much on needed equipment, we have depleted most of our funds. The Van Meter Volunteer Fire Department’s members ask you to please give generously. Your tax-deductible donation will help us become better firefighters, adequately equip and maintain our department, and continue to provide the level of emergency response you need and deserve.

Support information

If you are interested in supporting your Fire Department, you may contact them at:

vanmeterfireandrescue@gmail.com

PO Box 182
Van Meter, IA 50261