Five area fire departments in southern Missouri have been notified of their approval for up to $15,000 in state equipment grants from the Department of Public Safety. In October, DPS announced the first-ever Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant was available for small departments, with annual operating budgets of $50,000 or less, for the purchase of firefighting equipment. There is a 5% local cash match, which means for equipment costing $15,789.47, the local match share would be $789.47 and the state share of 95% would be $15,000.The five departments include Gainesville, Cloud 9 Ranch, Squires, Eastern Douglas County and Bradleyville.
For the initial grant recipients, the top requested equipment includes radios, hoses and nozzles, firefighter turnout gear, extrication equipment, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
DPS Director Mark James says “This grant was designed specifically to assist small volunteer fire departments that play a vitally important role in protecting lives and property in many rural areas of the state. We encourage other all-volunteer departments to consider applying for the grant.”
Applications must be made through the Missouri Department of Public Safety online WebGrants System.
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