About $1.4 million was awarded across 108 fire departments in Missouri according to a Thursday news release from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
The department awarded the money through the Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant program. It is meant to bolster the firefighting capabilities of small volunteer departments in an effort to support the protection of rural communities in Missouri, according to the release.
Some of the fire departments awarded include the city of Auxvasse, Martinsburg Area Fire Protection District and Bellflower Volunteer Fire Protection District, according to the release.
The Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant gave up to $15,000 for the purchase of equipment at volunteer department with a budget of $50,000 or less.
The first round of the grant program was announced in October 2025. There was a 5% local cash match, meaning that for $15,789.47 equipment, the local match cost would be $789.47 and the state cost would be $15,000, according to the release.
The period of use of the grant ended May 15, 2026.
It is unclear how much each department received individually in awards at this time.
“We’re glad to see this funding put to work for precisely the reason we created the grant — to provide essential firefighting and safety equipment to the smallest volunteer departments, whose members define selfless community service each time they respond to a call,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in the release.
