Staff members from the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Forestry Division have been distributing matching funds grant checks during July and August.
A total of 169 fire departments received checks of up to $3,000 to help with the purchase of personal protective gear and fire fighting equipment for wildfire, as well as structure fires.
The Aurora Rural Fire Department received $2,622, while the Jenkins Fire Department received $2,794.
The total funding for fire department matching grants this year is $373,785. 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 $5,900,000 has been distributed to rural fire departments to help them increase the safety of their fighters and provide them with better fire fighting equipment, said a spokesman.
Bill Altman serves as the supervisor of the Forestry Field Program for fire departments with in the Missouri Department of Conservation.
