Bluff Dale Volunteer Fire Dept

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
742367674
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2023
Location
Bluff Dale, TX, USA
Phone
8179927539
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fire Prevention

Reported finances

Revenue
$173,878
Expenses
$181,905
Assets
$873,382
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dewey Heintz (President)
  • Larry Murphy (Vice-President)

People named in this filing

  • Dewey Heintz (President)
  • Larry Murphy (Vice-President)
  • Tim Tatom (Secretary/Treasurer)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To perform firefighting and rescue operations in the local community by responding to wildland fires, structure fires, aviation and motor vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, chemical spills, and pipeline problems.

What it reported doing in 2024

Organization is an all-volunteer fire department providing emergency services to a 100-square mile area of Erath County, Texas. When requested, organization will also provide mutual aid to other departments. During the year, organization responded to 44 fire calls, 24 motor vehicle accidents, 14 medical emergencies, and 9 other emergencies. Total volunteer hours for all responses was over 689 volunteer hours.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 74% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.2%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $95.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.6%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.8; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.2% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $169K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.