A Boone County search and rescue force will receive state funds for the first time this year. Missouri Task Force 1 will get $1.25 million from the Missouri Department of Public Safety. $750,000 will be used for deployments in Missouri and $500,000 will go towards training.
The change from federal to state funding came after Senator Kurt Schaefer of Columbia added it into the state budget as a line item that will be present for all future annual budgets. Officials pursued this change because federal funding comes with a requirement to get federal clearance before acting in emergency situations.
Boone County Fire Department Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp says state funding aids Task Force One in helping the people of Missouri.
“We are one of 28 registered search and rescue forces in the country and they have one right there in their back yard, so it’s very important that the state of Missouri be able to support that,” Blomenkamp said.
Blomenkamp also said the process of getting refunded by the federal government usually took a very long time. Now the state of Missouri will shoulder that burden, freeing up the force to spend more time focused on emergencies.