RAISING FUNDS (Not for Profit) TO PURCHASE CRITICAL DIVE RESCUE EQUIPMENT

[Rapid Diver]

This post is dedicated to sharing information of how to raise funds for buying critical dive rescue equipment. Share your tips here:

PM me if your department is looking for a donated Dive Rescue Gear. RapidDiver.com has donated over $30,000 worth of dive rescue equipment over the past few years.

Chris

[Rapid Diver]

Over the past few years I have experienced first hand the budget cutbacks that have affected everyone. Grants are great, but is long process and not always a guarentee.

Fund raising can be hit or miss, but I have found quite a few tools online that might be a perfect way for your dive team/Dept to get funds donated for buying dive gear.

Check out this website...it is pretty staightfoward and looks like something that could be easy and very effective. Tell me what you think?

Learn how to use the Internet to raise funds

ChipIn.com

[Admin]

Here is a link from FEMA for any team looking for Grants to fund their Dive Teams.

AFG GRANTS HERE

[Admin]

Here is another link for this topic

PORT SECURITY GRANT INFO

Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)
Purpose

The ARRA is an economic stimulus package that was designed to jumpstart the U.S. economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges nationally. Funds received under this Act are intended to support these goals, and unprecedented levels of transparency, oversight, and accountability are required of the expenditure of Act dollars.

The purpose of the FY 2009 ARRA PSGP is to create a sustainable, risk-based effort to protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, particularly attacks using explosives and non-conventional threats that could cause major disruption to commerce.

Eligibility and Funding

Total Funding Available: $150,000,000

Seven port areas have been selected as Group I (highest risk), forty-seven port areas have been selected as Group II and thirty-six port areas have been selected as Group III. Each Group I, Group II and Group III port area will compete for funding identified in their corresponding Group. These amounts are based upon the FY 2009 DHS risk analysis model. This will allow applicants to submit Investment Justifications (IJs) for projects without being confined to a set dollar amount, providing DHS the opportunity to conduct field and national reviews of each project and make awards based on the two overarching priorities of the ARRA PSGP, risk-based funding and regional security cooperation, as well as evaluating the extent to which each IJ buys-down risk for their port area.

Ports not identified in Group I, II or III are eligible to apply as an “All Other Port Areas” applicant. “All Other Port Areas” will compete for the funding identified in this Group. “All Other Port Areas” included within Group I, II or III’s Area Maritime Security Plans (AMSP) are allowed to receive grant funds from their geographically proximate higher Group if the project has regional impact across the entire port area, but not from both funding groups for the same project.

Under a fifth group, eligible ferry systems may also apply for funding.

[Rapid Diver]

Here is a great link to check out:

The Walmart Foundation

[Rapid Diver]

One of the rescue teams I work with mentioned that the local Walmart has about $1000 available on a regular basis to support the local community. This is a small amount, but could be an effective tool to get specialized rescue tools (pry bars, window breakers, et) and high wear equipment like gloves, masks, et.

Stop by your local Walmart and see a manager for more details.

[Rapid Diver]

www.ChipIn.com is an excellent tool to raise money for you dive team.

The proliferation of social networks (twitter, facebook, et) has made it extremely easy to make contact about your needs and to get funds donated directly to your team.

You have probably noticed a ChipIn.com link on www.RapidDiver.com as well as the store site. I will be raising funds to continue supporting critical equipment

I have raised over $30,000 and have supported numersous rescue teams. PM me if you would like to get on the list for equipment.

[Rapid Diver]

Another great tip to raising necessary funds to support you rescue team is by hosting an Ebay auction. Most of you are very familier with your community, so it would be fairly simple to ask for merchant gift cards (Cracker Barrel, Perkins, Dunkin Donuts, et) and then auction them off.

Use your social network to announce your auction. www.ConstantContact.com is a perfect tool for managing email updates/newsletters. You should be able to raise $5000 this way.

If you need any assistance, feel free to contact me. I just had a very successful Ebay auction to raise money for a special needs baby in China.

Chris

[Rapid Diver]

Scott with Goldengate is working with the Fire House Subs Foundation to raise some funds for critical life saving equipment. I will keep you posted on his progress. Here is the link to the Fire House Subs Foundation:

Fire House Subs Foundation

[Admin]

Full article here


December 28, 2009


Family puts labor of love on display

By LIZ SHEPARD
Times Herald


It took three years to complete their home. Now, the Brusates are offering a peek of their labor of love to the public as a way to raise funds for the St. Clair County Dive Team.

Wayne Brusate said he was on the property at 1002 Michigan St. in Port Huron nearly every day through the construction process. The nearly 5,000-square-foot home, which sits along the St. Clair River with a view of passing freighters and the Blue Water Bridge, created a buzz throughout the community as it was erected.

Brusates, a chief with the county's dive team for nearly 40 years and a commercial diver, said he decided to have an open house to benefit the team because funding is scarce. The event takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today.

"The budget we have left just isn't enough," he said. "Without the dive team raising it on their own, we wouldn't be able to function like we do."

St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon said funding was cut about 58%, from $25,229 in 2008 to $10,685 in 2009.

The divers respond to a variety of incidents, including rescues and recoveries, he said. The team also assists with events such as the Float Down and offshore boat races in St. Clair.

"When you look at the 110 miles of coasts we've got here, all the ponds and rivers, (the dive team is) tremendously important, and we've got a great asset and we're trying to keep it working," Donnellon said.

Brusates said construction of his home brought a lot of attention, so he figured he'd capture that for the team.

Rick Mills, owner of East Lakes Builders, said his staff was on site less than two years building the four-story home.

He said the structure is a cross between a commercial and residential building. It has everything from a crane capable of picking up a boat along the river to a rock climbing wall in the basement, geothermal heating and old wooden boats hanging from the ceiling. It's also wheelchair-accessible with an elevator.

Mills said people constantly were asking questions as they constructed the home, which he said was "the most technically challenging house" he has built.

Brusates said he was involved in every aspect of the project. He said he filled his basement with artifacts and finds from dives.

Dive suits from several different eras are on display, along with propellers, anchors and glass bottles from in old wrecks.

Brusate was among the divers who discovered the Regina in Lake Huron between Lexington and Port Sanilac in 1986. The Canadian steamer sank during a storm in 1913.

Brusate has several artifacts from the shipwreck, including whiskey bottles.

Until the house was constructed, Brusate said he didn't have anywhere to display his treasures.

"It's amazing," he said. "I didn't know I had so much stuff."

Additional Facts
IF YOU GO
OPEN HOUSE


The Brusates are having an open house from 4 p.m. to about 7 p.m. today at their home at 1002 Michigan St., Port Huron.

Cost is $10 per person, and tickets will be sold at the door.

Proceeds benefit the St. Clair County Dive Team.

[Rapid Diver]

Through the Oxygen Grant Program, DAN provides emergency oxygen units to deserving departments and organizations by providing DAN Oxygen Units to public safety diving teams and/or organizations that can demonstrate critical operational and financial need. These grant requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. Training in the use of the equipment by attending a DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course is a mandatory requirement to being considered for the grant.


DAN Grant link here

[Admin]

Here is the link to to download the Homeland Security Grant Program PDF (close to $1 billion available)


Homeland Security Grant Program PDF

[rescuetwo]

Hi everyone! This is my first post in this forum,and my first knowledge about Rapid Diver. Im from Surigao City Philippines,in the southern island of Mindanao.Currently,im the Operations Officer of our city's Quick Action Response Team.We are the local civil defense force/rescue unit. We provide 24/7 EMS,Search-Rescue & Recovery,Firefighting,Disaster Response and other related functions.Our small city is"archipelagelic"in a way with several coastal,island & river communities. As such,we have a dive section as part of our team.We dont have PSD trng per se,so we utilize a mix of military,rescue and sport diving skills rolled into a dive program. Our dive environments vary from shallow,low visibility,river dives to 35+mtr coastal/near- shore dives in saltwater under various conditions.
As such,the Rapid Diver SCUBA System is ideal for us specially in brown and brackish water operations.
My questions are:
> What is the cost of a Rapid Diver SCUBA system(Sport and Tac/Responder)per unit?
>How can we avail of Public Safety Diving information,with the intent of starting one here.(We need textbooks,Manuals as well as training videos)

Thanks !

[Admin]

So...you don't have a budget right...and you don't have a Grant, but you need critical dive equipment. I hear this every day!

Finally we have a solution for you. It is called Lease to Own and this program has already been used sucessfully for Departments to get "essential" equipment.

If you would like to get started, check out this link:

LeaseExperts.com

Here is a quick link to the quote generator:

QuoteGenerator

If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at Chris@RapidDiver.com

[Sponsored content]