Two local fire departments are among more than 130 statewide awarded funding through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant program.
Lancaster Fire & Rescue received nearly $1,500 to help purchase chainsaws and leaf blowers essential for wildfire and structural fire response. The department spent about $2,980 on the equipment, with half reimbursed by the grant.
Downing Community Fire Association was awarded $930 to assist with its purchase of four leaf blowers and a chainsaw, which totaled $1,860.
The Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant program awarded a total of $704,201 this year to 133 Missouri fire departments. Each department must match 50% of the grant amount. Funding comes from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service’s Volunteer Fire Assistance Program to help local departments buy personal protective equipment, communications tools, and wildland or structural firefighting gear.
“This funding helps departments better protect their communities while keeping their personnel safe,” said Ben Webster, fire program supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Over the past 30 years, more than $10 million has been distributed to rural Missouri fire departments through the matching funds program to strengthen fire response capabilities across the state.
