SPANISH FORT, Ala. — With only 16 percent of businesses responding to date, collections for Spanish Fort Fire and Rescue’s annual fundraising goal are running about $15,000 below budget.

Fire Chief Roger Few said solicitation letters—complete with explanations of how the funds are spent—were mailed earlier this year to 3,627 residents and 446 businesses who receive fire service through the volunteer department.

To date, some 25 percent of residents have responded, but less than one-fifth of businesses have donated to the fund.

Few said despite the slow economy, the department did not alter adjust its $65,000 goal from 2009 because numerous new businesses joined the city’s fold.

“We really thought we had a bigger pool to draw from, but our donations just haven’t been as forthcoming as we thought they would be by this point,” said Few, noting year-to-date collections of about $46,700 are running about $5,000 below where they were at this time in 2009. Last year’s campaign netted $64,000, he said.

The department receives funding from the city and one-thirty-sixth of the ad valorem tax collected by Baldwin County, but Few said the department relies on community donations to “bolster our budget.”

He is quick to note, however, that donations in no way affect access to fire protection services, but they do literally empower contributors to effect change within the volunteer operation.

“There are benefits. We’re set up as a nonprofit corporation, so what we send out is considered a dues request. It doesn’t affect whether you receive fire protection, but contributing allows people to have a vote at our annual meeting in how the business of the nonprofit is run,” Few explained.