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Palatine Rural FPD to sell ad space on apparatus
The *Daily Herald* recently reported on a new initiative by the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District (FPD) to generate additional revenue through advertising on their emergency vehicles. This move, which the district believes makes it the first fire service in Illinois to do so, comes at a critical time as the department faces financial challenges.
The FPD recently lost a bid for a tax increase, and with rising emergency calls and declining property tax revenue, the need for alternative income sources has never been greater. Chief Hank Clemmensen described the situation as “desperate,†emphasizing that the money from the ads will be essential for keeping the department operational. However, he assured the public that the advertisements would be tasteful and not overly flashy. The ads will be placed on the sides near the rear of the district’s only fire truck and on the back of its lone ambulance. “It won’t look like a race car,†he said, adding that he will have final approval over the design.
The district is working with Arizona-based Public Safety Advertising, a company founded by a firefighter who wants to help departments boost revenue without increasing taxes. According to Clemmensen, the idea of using vehicle advertising had been on his mind for some time, especially after the district saw a $300,000 drop in revenue between 2012 and 2013—a 9% decrease.
Last Tuesday, voters rejected a proposed tax hike that would have brought in an additional $200,000 annually. Only about 1,100 of the district’s nearly 20,000 registered voters participated in the referendum, with roughly 54% voting against the measure. Even if the tax increase had passed, Clemmensen said he planned to move forward with the advertising program, which was unanimously approved by the board on March 10. Now, with the financial pressure even greater, the need for the ad revenue has become more urgent.
Public Safety Advertising estimates that the district could earn between $20,000 and $25,000 per year from the ads.
Thanks, Dan.
Other articles about fire departments selling ad space across the country include:
- *New York Times*
- *ABC15Arizona*
- *AZFamily.com*
- *MyFoxPhoenix.com*
- *Apache Junction FPD*
- *ABC2Baltimore*
- *Callthecops.net*