Dear Resident of the Halfmoon Fire District No. 1,
The Hillcrest Volunteer Fire Department is currently conducting our Annual Fund Drive. This is the only fundraising effort we do each year, and your donation is extremely important to our operation. Monies received during this drive go directly towards meeting our annual operating and equipment expenses, as well as various community outreach programs and events such as our Fire Prevention Safety Program at the Mechanicville Elementary School, our annual Kid’s Halloween Party and the Christmas Santa Run for the youth in our Fire District.
Our district is proudly served by a 100% VOLUNTEER Department, many of whom are your relatives, neighbors, friends, or business associates. We train on a continuous basis and hold weekly drills, often in coordination with our neighboring departments and with State and County Fire Instructors, all in an effort to further enhance and improve our skills. In addition to training for structural firefighting, we also prepare for specialized incidents such as advanced vehicle extrication, ice rescue, low angle rope rescue and various emergency medical incidents. Your donations are used to support these training efforts to better prepare us and to purchase new and advanced equipment.
Even during the pandemic our weekly training continued, both in-person and virtual, all in an effort to continue to answer the call and respond to all emergency needs within our Fire District.
We are proud to be in our 59th year of providing fire protection and emergency medical services to our community. Over the years, as the needs of our fire district have changed, we have needed to evolve to better meet those needs. Our current apparatus inventory includes two Engine Rescue Pumpers, a four-wheel drive Brush Truck, a Medical Emergency Vehicle and three quick response Chief vehicles. We also respond alongside the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Ambulance Corp to provide medical assistance to our district residences and businesses, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
In 2022 we responded to 306 calls for assistance and while our fire district continues to develop and grow, we expect our annual call volume to increase as well. And with that increase in call volume, there is a critical need for new members to help answer those calls! We need your help more than ever to continue our mission of providing high levels of fire protection and emergency medical services available to the residents of the Fire District and surrounding communities. There is a job for everyone in the volunteer fire service and we ask you to consider stepping up and joining our team. There is no greater feeling than helping the community, and together, we can all make a difference! Please consider going online to www.hillcrestfd.com/join and obtain an application for membership or stop by the station any Wednesday evening to see what we’re all about!
Sincerely,
The Members of the Hillcrest Volunteer Fire Department