Volunteer fire departments in Butler County are sounding the alarm. The coronavirus pandemic is causing a financial crisis.

Fundraisers are being canceled or limited. Dinners and breakfasts scrubbed. Donation drives delayed.

“Right now it's bad,” said Reid Campbell, assistant chief for the West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department.

Without help to stem the economic impact of COVID-19, volunteer fire companies could “begin falling like dominoes,” predicted Eric Feicht, chief for the volunteer fire department.

“We're trying to control costs as best we can,” said Scott Garing, chief for the Harmony Fire District. “But that's difficult. We have bills to pay and a department to run.”

Garing's department recently decided it had no choice but to cancel this year's car raffle — the organization's biggest annual fundraiser.

The event typically brings in between $50,000 and $70,000. This year's top prize was to be a spanking new Corvette.

“It was ordered,” Garing, “but we had to give it back.”

The raffle starts in early May as tickets start to sell, and continues into the fall, when the car is awarded. Last year, the department gave away a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4×4.

“This year,” Garing said, “we were projecting one of our biggest years ever.”

The money generated was to be used to support the department's membership, including the annual banquet, family parties and for an incentive program to recruit and maintain members.

But with restrictions imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf, social distancing requirements, layoffs and business closures, all to slow the spread of COVID-19, the department nixed the event.

Other fire companies have had to take drastic action as well.

The Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department has postponed two events. Its Sportsman's Night that was to be held March 30 has been pushed back to May 30, said Chuck Barnes, the department's chief.

“But that may be optimistic,” he conceded.

“We're hoping things will have opened back up by then, but who knows? It's a guessing game.”

The Sportsman's Night is primarily a gun raffle held at the social hall. But there are other prizes awarded through the day. Last year, the event raised $10,000.

But even more profitable than the Sportsman's Night, Barnes said, is the department's Ladies Night event held in June. That, too, has been postponed.

The Unionville Volunteer Fire Department cancelled its annual Sportsman's Night on March 21, and instead broadcast the drawing on the department's Facebook page.

The decision was made, according to the department “based on the latest developments in regards to the spread of (COVID-19) and recommendations by both state and federal public health officials.”

“Adhering to the recommendations and mandates from the Center(s) for Disease Control, along with local, state and federal agencies, have essentially brought all fundraising activities to a halt,” Feicht said.

The Bruin Volunteer Fire Department's biggest fundraiser is its annual spring Sportsman's Raffle at the Fairview Township Municipal Park. This year's raffle May 9 instead will be broadcast on the department's website.

“We have the potential of losing $25,000,” Feicht admitted. The money from the fundraiser goes for department expenses including basic utilities like electricity and heat, and for insurance.

He noted that the one-day event attracts more than 1,000 people, who come there to spend money on side raffles and games of chance.

“Social distancing has put the kibosh on everything,” Feicht said.

The West Sunbury VFD cancelled its March 21 grocery auction and a small gun raffle that was planned next month, Campbell said.

The North Washington Volunteer Fire nixed its March 13 fish and oyster dinner. On Saturday, its Spring Sportsman Night was held via Facebook, not on site “due to the ongoing stay-at-home order for non-life essential functions,” said Ryan Enscoe, the department's assistant chief.

Streaming the event rather than holding it at the social hall, which typically draws crowds of 300 to 350, meant less revenue.

“If we break even,” Enscoe said, “we'll be happy.”

The Eau Claire Volunteer Fire Department held its Sportsman's Night as scheduled March 14 at the Harrisville fire hall but the crowds were down.

“There was fear about the coronavirus,” said Enscoe, who also is Eau Claire's assistant fire chief, “and people were also talking about social distancing.”

He estimated revenue was off by about 60 percent, in comparison to past years.

The pandemic has also hurt the Eau Claire VFD because it cannot rent its hall for birthday parties. The North Washington VFD has taken another financial hit, too, because it cannot use its hall for wedding receptions, at least for the time being.

But the biggest concern for North Washington is whether its annual rodeo held will be held Aug. 18-22, as scheduled.

“If social distancing goes on until August,” Enscoe said, “cancelling the rodeo will be devastating. That's what finances the day-to-day operation of the station.”

There's more bad news, however, for all volunteer companies. Because of so many layoffs in the wake of COVID-19, officials are expecting fewer donations from their annual fundraising mailings.

“A lot of people are hurting,” Barnes said. “They don't have money to give.”

The Harmony Fire District counts on $60,000, more or less, from the its mail-in drive. Garing knows this year the donations will be lighter.

“We expect that to be reduced because no one's working,” he said. “It's a significant toll we're going to take.”

Campbell said the West Sunbury VFD has delayed its mail solicitation drive for the time being.

“It's on hold,” he said, “because people are holding on to their money right now. They have to.”

North Washington is also holding off its mailings.

“We can't solicit money from people that don't have it,” Enscoe acknowledged.

Some departments, in addition to facing losses in revenue, are also having to deal with additional unplanned expenses, namely purchasing personal protective equipment like gowns and gloves.

Two of those departments are Bruin and Eau Claire, which respond to all medical calls in their area, assisting ambulance crews.

“No question, volunteer fire departments are hurting,” said Jerry Ozog, director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Service Institute in Harrisburg, an educational, non-profit association of emergency service organizations.

The group noted that of the commonwealth's 2,462 fire companies in 2018, more than 90 percent were volunteer departments.

Ozog said the companies typically rely on three or four revenue sources — fund drives in the form of donation letters, fundraisers, government funding including local taxes and state and federal grants, and auxiliary business operations such as social clubs or rental properties,

This year's downturn in revenue in fund drives and fundraisers, he said, “will force departments to reassess their budgets,” such as putting off capital purchases, like equipment.

Additionally, he added, once the COVID-19 crisis is over, some departments will have to consider consolidations and mergers with other companies.

“That's not necessarily a bad thing,” Ozog said. “But maybe now it'll just be a survival strategy for some departments.”

He and fire officials like Feicht are also keeping their eye on legislation that might help departments in financial distress caused by COVID-19.

They both cite one bill, introduced by state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette/Greene/Washington, that would establish a one-time program to provide automatic crisis grants to each fire and EMS company in Pennsylvania, once approved by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

The grants would be funded by a one-time transfer of $30 million from the Volunteer Companies Loan Fund, which has been used to balance the state budgets in 2014 and 2016, she added.

“Every day, our brave men and women are putting their lives on the line to help us stay safe and assist those in need, especially now during these uncertain times with the current COVID-19 pandemic,” Snyder said in a statement.

“They aren't able to conduct their normal fundraising activities, and that's why this grant program is so vital to help them stay afloat and answer the call.”

Campbell wants to be optimistic. But he knows he must be a realist.

”There's nothing out there that's going to help us as far as I'm concerned,” he said, “What's the future? I don't know.”