During June, July and August, matching funds grant checks for rural fire departments are being distributed by Missouri Department of Conservation Forestry Division staff.
One hundred sixty-nine fire departments will be receiving checks of up to $3,000 to help them with the purchase of personal protective gear and firefighting equipment for wildfire as well as structure fires.
The total funding for fire department matching grants this year is $373,585. Fire departments are required to match these funds which are provided by the U.S. Forest Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
During the last 28 years, nearly $5,904,429 has been distributed to Rural Fire Departments to help them increase the safety of their fighters and provide them with better firefighting equipment, according to Bill Altman, Forestry Field Program supervisor–Fire, Missouri Department of Conservation.
