This tanker was one of the retired apparatus auctioned by Munson Fire Department to support the purchase of a TI
Retired Apparatus Auction Buys a TI
Chardon, Ohio (pop. 9,500) -- Capt. Mark Lynn of the Munson Fire Department in Chardon, Ohio, led the effort to sell retired apparatus as a TI fundraising activity. The department started in November 2002 by setting up a site on e-bay to sell two engines and a tanker, all originally purchased by the department in the 80s. During the course of a week, the department received 700 phone calls and more than 200 e-mails from people interested in the equipment.
A week after posting the offer, department officials were asked to remove it from e-bay and follow protocol for selling government-owned equipment. The department had generated a great deal of interest by posting information on line, and by January, Ashton Fire Department of Georgia made an offer of $30,000 for all three trucks.
Capt. Mark Lynn: “The officials from Ashton had originally seen the apparatus on e-bay during that week in November. They sent two firefighters up, and we spent a good 12 hours with them to go over the trucks. At dinner that night, they told us they intended to buy. We got a lot more out of these trucks than we thought we would, and we were able to keep $8,000 to put toward the thermal imager campaign.”
Funding Tip: Capt. Mark Lynn and other officials in the Munson Fire Department thought “outside of the box” to come up with this fundraising idea. In considering how to raise money in your department, follow the three major rules for brainstorming: 1) There are no bad ideas, 2) Quantity of ideas counts more than quality, and 3) Build on ideas put forward by others.
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