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DONATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
Donations during this time of need are greatly appreciated, but we have changed our practices to reduce exposure risk and ensure that material goods are distributed to where they're needed most. The Silver Spring Fire Department is accepting monetary donations only at this time. See below for how to donate. If you have masks, gloves, or other personal protective equipment to donate, please enter your information here. If you have other items you'd like to donate, please contact Donations@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Why donate to the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department?
How We Use Donations
Donations to the Silver Spring Fire Department are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. How do we use donations? Simply put, we use them to serve you better. Some of the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department’s operating expenses come from you – members of our community. Donations are used in the purchasing of fire equipment and apparatus. Over the years community donations have purchased:
- Air/light unit (Air 716) housed at Fire Station 16
- Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs)
- Portable digital radios ($5,000 each)
- Office equipment including computers for administrative support.
- Personal Protective Equipment ($3,000 per member)
- A state of the art training facility for the members (Upgraded in 2009 at a cost of over $10,000)
Volunteers save residents on their taxes. With hundreds of hours of training, volunteers staff fire apparatus and medical units as firefighters and emergency services personnel. So please, consider how important this service is to you and your family and consider how welcome a donation of $50 will be in support of your community fire department. Our thanks and appreciation for your support. Remember your donation is tax deductible.
Misperceptions of County Tax Funding One of the common misperceptions is that if a Department accepts tax funds, then its basic needs are met. This, simply put, is not the case. Our routine obligations, including mission-critical items such as building maintenance and medical supplies, exceed the monthly tax fund allotment provided by Montgomery County. Because Montgomery County has not changed our tax fund allotment “bottom line” we are currently operating with 1994 dollars. This is true of other Volunteer Fire Departments in the county as well.
As a Volunteer Fire Department we spend thousands of dollars every year helping meet routine obligations because of this situation. While we can receive a supplemental appropriation from the County, we lose the use of our private funds in the meantime. Remember – we want to improve and expand upon the level of service you are provided – not merely maintain what you have now.
How to Donate to SSFD-- Check or Credit Card
Gifts in the form of credit card or check are the most direct, simplest, and most popular way to make a donation. You may even donate by credit card through this website. Itemizing deductions may allow you to claim a charitable deduction for the full amount of a gift made to the Department in the year the gift is made with certain provisions.
Silver Spring Fire Department
1945 Seminary Rd.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(P) 301-587-3404
(F) 301-588-3548
Appreciated Securities
A popular alternative to cash is the gift of appreciated securities. Generally, in addition to receiving an income-tax deduction for the full, fair market value of the stock, the donor avoids any potential tax on the capital gain of the securities assuming the appropriate holding period has been satisfied.
Charitable Bequests
Charitable bequests can allow donors to make significant contributions to the Department that they would not have been able to make during life while reducing estate tax liabilities. Bequests by will may provide the Department with a specific dollar amount or property, a percentage of the estate, a residual amount, or a contingency bequest.
Other Vehicles
Other vehicles, such as Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, gifts of real estate with or without retained life interests, or life insurance can also be an attractive and suitable means of donating to the Department. If you need any further information on how to donate to the Department, feel free to email InfoSSFD@silverspringvfd.org
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