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so im sitting in my house the other day and i see a fire truck and what appears to be a cop car. out jumps a small army of guys going door to door. guy comes to my door and says something about them getting a grant and they are required to match it with donations. so they are using a fire trucks and fire rescue car to go around town begging for money. i see it as a form of ambushing someone and making them feel obligated to donate. of course, i said no. im not going to be intimidated into giving money and i dont give any money out without knowing the details of where it goes.
now, here is what i see as the worst part. after i said no, the guy still wants me to sign something. i look at the paper and there is a place to sign saying you are unable to donate at this time. why would i want to put my name down saying i dont want to donate? they want to put me on some kind of list of people not to show up when his house is burning down? of course, i said no, but how many people feel uncomfortable saying no and put their names on that paper?
i actually recall that a mailing from our police department also asked for money and either way they wanted you to fill out the paper to make sure they have your info to help them respond to calls. it was clearly a threat and intimidation tactic.
we have created a group of entitled criminals who feel comfortable intimidating the people they are supposed to be serving and protecting.
Are we talking paid or volunteer fire services here?
it didnt say volunteer on the truck so at first i thought they were paid. i did a little online research and it says all volunteer. but i also see they have gotten about $140k in grants this year so at least their equipment seems to be paid for by some form of tax dollars.
i dont mind them asking for donations. but im not thrilled about the method and especially not thrilled with the implied threat as i see it.
they also might want to have information handy to give someone who doesnt just hand over money without getting more details. i may want to donate if im presented with a good case for it.
Yeah, that's aggressive. Sounds like they are trying to scare people into donating. I had to scream at the PBA to stop calling one time, they were out of control.
craziness.. using all that equipment to strong arm donations...and writing your name down for not donating???
i remember hiking up in upper passaic and having to pass through skyline drive around ringwood area...
..huuuuge line of cars, and after waiting forever we thought to pass an accident...
...nope, fire department stopping every car and asking for donations.
i don't mind going to cars once the red light is turned on, but this was in the middle of a road, no light or stop sign and they would cause a traffic jam for this?
Yeah, that's aggressive. Sounds like they are trying to scare people into donating. I had to scream at the PBA to stop calling one time, they were out of control.
i wish i had that letter from the local police asking for donations and then still wanting you to return the letter even if you dont donate to help them respond in case they are called. such an obvious implied threat.
Yeah, that's aggressive. Sounds like they are trying to scare people into donating. I had to scream at the PBA to stop calling one time, they were out of control.
Watch out, Ann. A lot of those times they are fake organizations scamming you for money. It pops up on the news from time to time.
I've gotten a few of those calls since I moved. One time I picked up the phone, and the guy apparently didn't realize I had answered, and he's yammering in ghetto talk to somebody else, and there's loud music playing...then he finally said "Hello?", realized I was there, and started his spiel. I just hung up.
I got another call since then, and that time I just said, "I'm sorry, I am not that stupid. Try somebody else". And hung up.
But back to Captain--that donation-seeking tactic does sound over the top to me. In most towns I lived in, they would drop off an envelope and ask for a donation, not come banging on your door. You know they're gonna let your house burn down if anything happens.
Don't know how much that $140K grant money would go, though. A fire engine costs more than $400K. There is other equipment they might need that's expensive, too. And beer's gone up, as well.
it sounds like they only get the grant if they get the same amount in private donations. they all hopped in the truck, drove somewhere, and spread out to get to more houses.
how's this agressive or an ambush? maybe they came in the truck so you'd know they really were firefighters, and not a guy going door to door in a rented costume running a scam?
i mean...i guess it depends on your view of life and other people. i thought i was cynical but i think you beat me hahaha.
Watch out, Ann. A lot of those times they are fake organizations scamming you for money. It pops up on the news from time to time.
I've gotten a few of those calls since I moved. One time I picked up the phone, and the guy apparently didn't realize I had answered, and he's yammering in ghetto talk to somebody else, and there's loud music playing...then he finally said "Hello?", realized I was there, and started his spiel. I just hung up.
I got another call since then, and that time I just said, "I'm sorry, I am not that stupid. Try somebody else". And hung up.
But back to Captain--that donation-seeking tactic does sound over the top to me. In most towns I lived in, they would drop off an envelope and ask for a donation, not come banging on your door. You know they're gonna let your house burn down if anything happens.
Don't know how much that $140K grant money would go, though. A fire engine costs more than $400K. There is other equipment they might need that's expensive, too. And beer's gone up, as well.
honestly, the best way to get off these lists from these organizations is to tell them you donate on your own, and will send in the donation, but if you receive another phone call from the organization, you will stop donating.
it doesn't work 100% of the time, but I worked part time in college for my alumni office and if someone ever said those magic words (call again, and i'll never donate) - we made sure their information was noted and their record flagged to not be called. then, they typically only received the little postcards. and honestly, most of those folks did actually donate every year, on their own terms.
I'm happy with volunteer solicitations but the way it was done here seemed bit aggressive.
I like the old "send me an envelope and I send you a check" method.
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