Bartlett fire district warns of solicitations
Officials from the Bartlett Fire Protection District have issued a warning that they are not in a partnership with a company soliciting local businesses to buy ads for a dry erase board project benefiting the fire district.
Assistant Chief Mike Figolah said the district received numerous calls at the end of last week from area businesses inquiring if a telephone call from the company, Firehouse Promotions, was affiliated with the district.
Figolah said the district did work with the promotions company in the past, but had canceled their agreement with them last February.
When Figolah confronted the company about the phone calls a representative confirmed with him that Firehouse Promotions was calling area businesses, on behalf of the Bartlett Fire District, to sell ads with prices ranging from $500 to $1100 that would be placed on dry erase boards distributed by fire departments.
“We immediately notified the promotional company and asked them to not only cease using our name on their product, but to call these businesses back and let them know the Bartlett Fire Protection District name was used in error,” Chief Michael Falese said in a statement.
Figolah said when he asked the representative about their cancellation letter that she found the company's copy of it and said she had no idea why Firehouse Promotions was still calling people in Bartlett.
He said the company agreed to the district's request and issued a letter of apology, but he warned residents and businesses to stay cautious of all telemarketers calling on behalf of police or fire departments.
The district is asking anyone who has a concern on the issue to contact Figolah at (630) 233-5478.