Scammers, or unscrupulous people who go door-to-door trying to cheat people out of their money, are active year-round and sometimes it’s difficult to tell a con artist from a legitimate fundraiser. However, for the next couple of weeks, there will be some legitimate people going to local resident’s homes–with clear identification–raising money for a good, and local cause.

The Albany Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department is currently conducting its seventh annual portrait fundraiser in the Albany/Clinton County area. The annual fundraiser gives families an opportunity to purchase family photos while at the same time, aiding the fire/rescue in collecting needed funds to keep their equipment upgraded.

Albany Fire Chief Robert Roeper said that company contracted for the portrait fundraiser sends representative door-to-door to offer residents a free 8×10 family photo in exchange for a $20 (or more) donation to the fire/rescue department. Of course, people who participate will have the option to purchase additional photo packages, but the up front donation goes to the fire department and the resident receives the 8×10 photo whether they make any additional purchases or not.

Roeper said all of the proceeds from fundraisers, or any private donations to the department, is used to purchase or upgrade rescue equipment. He said the department this year plans to purchase what is called quick connectors which allows firemen to attach one tool to another quickly and also a portable Jaws of Life device that would be used when the department responds to remote areas, in situations such as farm accidents or even inside factory facilities.

“We apply for a lot of grants each year,” said Roeper, but the vast majority are turned down, primarily now due to the economy. “Grants are hard to get now,” he added.

The fire department is funded by the City of Albany, although the majority of actual runs made each year is in the county and it’s tough for the city to fund it (fire department) all from their budget. That is why the department tries to make extra revenue on its own to fund some of the necessary equipment to operate the department properly.

To give an indication of just what the fire department does each year, in 2011 the types of emergency responses, and the number for each type of response, was: Structure (31), Automobile accidents (85), automobile fire (12), woods and grass (38), medical assist (12), fire alarms (29), trash fire (14), weather/storm related response (28), miscellaneous (38).

Of those runs listed above, some 89 percent were runs made outside of the Albany city limits, referred to as “county-runs”, while 11 percent were responses inside the Albany City Limits.

In discussing the annual fundraise, the fire chief noted that no members of the fire department itself were used to solicit donations, but rather designees from the company who make the portraits. Those individuals are identified with a letter (with ID photo) explaining the purpose of the solicitation and signed by Roeper.

Those individuals collecting donations include: Michael Watkins, Woody Watkins, Charlie Bowling, Steve Cheek, Mickey Fields and Marcus Booher. They will be going door-to-door across the county for the next couple of weeks.

The photo session for the free picture and optional purchase of more, will be taken at the Albany Fire and Rescue building behind Dollar General Market and the exact date and times will be announced later to those who make a donation.

The fire department raised just over $3,000 last year from the fund drive, which they used to help purchase turn-out gear. However, since the first year or two the fundraiser began, participation has grown, especially in the last couple of years.

The initial years of the event, around $1,500 to $1,800 was raised, but Roeper said more has been collected in recent years because “people are getting used to knowing we’re doing it and that it’s legitimate.” He added as well that it’s held about the same time each year–from late March to early April–around the Easter season.

Roeper noted the cost of equipment and maintaining what is already on hand, is expensive. For example, a new Jaws of Life piece of equipment costs around $30,000, a rescue truck around $168,000 and an aerial truck in the neighborhood of $600,000.

The fire/rescue department now has two dozen total members, all volunteers. Roeper added the cost of turn-out gear per firefighter, including air pack, suits, gloves, boots, helmets, etc., is about $7,500 each.

Roeper also explained that what is referred to as the Albany Fire/Rescue Department doesn’t designate a rescue squad and explained the difference, stressing that Albany and Clinton County does not have a rescue squad, per se.

The fire department, the fire chief noted, does rescue type work “but we don’t do recovery.”

The fire department, although capable of helping rescue someone in situations that may entail someone falling from a bluff or being entrapped, they don’t have the training or equipment to drag lakes or other bodies of water to recover bodies.

“If someone, for example, gets lost in the woods, we can use a small crew from the (fire) department to help search,” Roeper said, but we can’t do both–respond to fires and drag lakes.

The ongoing fundraiser requests a $20 donation in exchange for the free photo. However, larger donations may be made as participants choose and all contributions are tax deductible, since it is going to a non-profit, volunteer organization.

Also, residents can make contributions to the fire department at any time during the year and all donations made that do not come from the city’s general account to maintain the department on an annual basis is used to purchase and/or upgrade fire department equipment, Roeper said.

To give an indication of just what the fire department does each year, in 2011 the types of emergency responses, and the number for each type of response, was: Structure (31), Automobile accidents (85), automobile fire (12), woods and grass (38), medical assist (12), fire alarms (29), trash fire (14), weather/storm related response (28), miscellaneous (38).

Of those runs listed above, some 89 percent were runs made outside of the Albany city limits, referred to as “county-runs”, while 11 percent were responses inside the Albany City Limits.