| Garden
City Fire Department 'raising the ladder' to raise money
for new fire engine
By Bronden Jessup
April 15, 2008 | The small town of Garden City, Utah,
has a big goal of raising $700,000 for a new 75-foot
ladder fire truck for its fire department.
With just under 1,000 permanent residents in the Garden
City area, the tax base is too low to pay for a truck
from the general fund, and so a major fundraising effort
is under way to raise the money for the fire engine.
Plans are in the works in Garden City to have monthly
fireman breakfasts, coloring contests in local businesses
and a charity golf tournament in hopes of bringing in
more donations. The organizers are also hoping for private
donations from community members and individuals who
own cabins but live outside of the Garden City area.
The Garden City Fire Department has 17 volunteer firemen,
including Fire Chief Mike Leonhardt. The Garden City
Fire District encompasses the Garden City area up to
the Idaho Border; they also cover to the Rich and Cache
County lines. Chief Leonhardt is aware that the amount
of money they need to raise is a lot, however he is
quick to point out that the need for a tall ladder truck
is even greater.
With new cabins and condos being built all around
the Bear Lake area the current fire trucks that the
Garden City Fire Department have just are not equipped
to manage a bigger building or cabin structure fire;
"This (new) truck will enable us to reach the taller
buildings that are being built as well as the steep
hillsides," said Chief Mike Leonhardt.
Public Relations students from the journalism department
at Utah State University have developed a communication
plan and are now assisting Chief Leonhardt and his committee
members to implement a few of these fundraising events.
Troy Oldham's spring semester JCOM 5300 class is working
on the implementation of this project by raising awareness
through media outlets, and getting the basics outlined
for the coloring contests, and fireman breakfasts.
The donations given to Raising the Ladder will benefit
everyone who lives and enjoys the Bear Lake Area, said
Chief Leonhardt.
Chief Leonhardt invites all to please join in "Raising
the Ladder" to help Garden City Fire District get a
new fire truck." For more information and to see upcoming
events that you can attend in the Garden City area,
please visit the Raising
the Ladder Web site.
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