I don’t know how your FD is organized…but it sounds like your dept is separate from the city your hall resides in.
I was a volly and wildland FF. On my VFD, I was the secretary treasurer for several years and I’m quite familiar with your challenges are. Never a chief but truck captain and wildland truck boss.
Our VFD used to operate separate of the city many years ago. They were facing the exact same issues…years of neglect, infighting, old equipment, etc.
Our VFD decided to approach the city in which they reside with a proposal for the City to take over ownership of the equipment and extend insurance coverage to the FFers who would become city employees whom were paid a stipend of $5 per call. and the FD “club” would still run fundraisers, events and the such to purchase equipment together with the city. The club also wrote for grants always. The fire chief became part of the city council.
The club remains a separate entity that operates the equipment..when the tone goes off, they are city employees. The FD gets the benefit of maintained and reliable equipment. The city residents benefit from lower insurance rates as the department has the proper equipment for the fire district. Over the years we systematically updated / replaced equipment. The club bought , built most of the tenders and brush rigs. Never new rigs, but low mile finds that were updated and shined up. Excess funds from the fundraisers are placed into CDs until enough has accumulated to facilitate necessary equipment upgrades (saws, scba, hoses, etc,etc) This was possible as the maintenance was being performed/covered by the city. The old fire engines ultimately were retired and replaced with new conventional conversions. Today, my FD has some of the best equipment and reasonably new turnout gear in the state. They run about 80 calls a year with about 1/2 ems / bandaid buggy.
Something to consider.
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