Here’s why you can’t buy Christmas trees from Richland firefighters this year

For members of Richland’s firefighter union, Christmas is a little less joyful.

Officials with Local 1052 said it would no longer sell Christmas trees as a community fundraiser.

“We’re in a bit of a dull mood today,” officials said on Richland Fire & Emergency Services’ Facebook page when it announced the news.

The reasons why come down to quality and price.

Capt. Mike Emerick said that Silver Mountain Trees, the west-side supplier they used, guaranteed that trees would be freshly cut the day before they were sold.

That ensured a healthy, vibrant tree.

More importantly to Emerick, it ensured a less fire-prone tree.

He said evergreens like those sold in front of big box stores typically are weeks old and dried out by the time they are sold.

A big conglomerate bought struggling Silver Mountain Trees last year, Emerick said.

The conglomerate refused to make the guarantee, instead offering the dried-out trees.

That led to such low tree quality, “it was down right on the edge of embarrassing,” Emerick said.

“We did that as a community program to get fresh trees to people — not 2-month-old trees,” he said.

The other part was cost.

The conglomerate increased Silver Mountain Trees’ prices, but it was just the latest increase after years of them, Emerick said.

The 12 days of sales during the 2016 season brought in about $3,500 for the union’s Community Outreach program.

That’s the program the union uses to give back to community members in times of need, such as people burned out of homes or children who need backpacks.

It wasn’t a bad haul, Emerick said, but it also took weeks and increasingly more money to set up.

Emerick said the union cut the price a few years ago, from $50 to $40, to be more competitive with other tree lots. It still had to spend $25 for a fresh-cut tree, further reducing proceeds for the fund.

Contrast that with the union’s first charity golf tournament at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, which brought in more than $6,000.

The decision to stop selling trees also brings a bit of sorrow to Emerick.

Along with a tree purchase, firefighters and volunteers explained to people how to care for the tree to keep the fire hazard low, including how and when to dispose of it.

“It was a joy for me, an absolute blessing, and my brother and sister firefighters loved it the same way,” Emerick said.

“We’ll have to do public service announcements another way,” he added. “Probably on our Facebook page.”

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Here’s why you can’t buy Christmas trees from Richland firefighters this year."