We were faced with the same decision a few years ago when we cut back on fund raising; the decision is never an easy one to make but in this day and age while the fire company’s mission hasn’t changed we must constantly evaluate what we do and how we do it. Many people do not understand we are running a business.....business leaders must constantly look at and reevaluate many options and many decisions in the eyes of the public do not make sense but in the eyes of the members the writing is on the wall. We support Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services in their decision to keep the interest of training and public safety in the forefront of their operations! ... See moreSee less
Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services
Dear CFRS Bingo Players,
When we moved into this station 23 years ago, our first fund raising event was Bingo. Bingo has been the primary fundraiser that has allowed Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services to pay for this building and the equipment required to serve our community. Many of you have been here with us during the long journey. However, times are changing. We do not have the bingo attendance or volunteer staffing that we once had. Therefore, the fire company has decided to discontinue weekly Bingo effective December 18th, 2019.
This decision was not an easy one. Over the past year and a half, we have changed our game formats, attempted to increase our payouts, and changed products & vendors in order to lower our costs. While we are still making a profit, the margin continues to shrink. We have attempted to offer special bingo events to grow our audience, but our average weekly attendance has remained relatively flat. Meanwhile, our volunteer staff invests thousands of hours per year into running this event week in and week out. It diverts time from our core missions of training, safety outreach/education, and response to emergency incidents.
While you may not be happy with our decision, we hope that you understand our position. We are one of only a half dozen fire companies in Cumberland County who still offer bingo games, and we held out for as long as it was feasible. We hope that you are willing to support the bingo events through the end of the year. Our intent is to make the remaining games fun and exciting. If this decision causes attendance to drop to the point that we are losing money, we may reevaluate the final game date.
We will be offering special quarterly bingos next year. Our goal is to make these a family event on a weekend afternoon that will allow us to reach a larger audience with a smaller outlay of resources. We hope that you are willing to try a few of these events and see if you enjoy them.
THANK YOU for the many years of support to Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services. Many of you are like members of our extended family, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding.
Michael R. Snyder
President
Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services 
