The Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department is raising money to rebuild the transmission on its support vehicle, a retired 1996 Ford E-350 ambulance, according to the department's online fundraiser.
The repair is estimated to cost $4,000 to $6,000, the department said on the fundraising page. As of Oct. 14, the page showed $550 raised from six donations toward a goal of $1,800.
The department said it uses the vehicle on calls to bring firefighters water and equipment, and to give them a warm or cool place to rest during fires and rescues. It said the vehicle supports the community in the same way.
The cost of the repair is causing considerable financial stress for the department and affects its support for volunteer firefighters, the page said.
The department operates one station in Atlanta, with eight firefighters and three first responders, all volunteers, according to the page. Its equipment includes two engines, a tanker, a brush truck, a large military brush truck, and the support vehicle. A five-member volunteer board guides the department, which is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.
The department covers the city of Atlanta and about 330 rural residences, with an estimated permanent population of 1,210, according to the page. The district includes the schools, churches, and cemeteries in its area, a section of U.S. 63, and more than 185 acres of Missouri Department of Conservation land. It also has agreements to help two neighboring fire districts.
The department said membership dues are its main source of funding, along with a small amount from the city and donations. Rising operating and insurance costs led it to raise rural dues, and it is seeking grants and donations to cover the difference, the page said.
Donations can be made through the GoFundMe page "Keeping AVFD's Support Vehicle on the Road" at https://www.gofundme.com/f/keeping-avfds-support-vehicle-on-the-road.