Texas County Memorial Hospital, Licking Police Department and Mountain Grove Fire Department are among 428 agencies in Missouri awarded funds for equipment, supplies, training/travel, personnel and benefits.
Texas County EMS received $19,819, LPD received $19,661, and MGFD received $7,750 under a Missouri Department of Public Safety initiative, Gov. Mike Parson said on Thursday. In all, about $6.3 million was awarded.
“Meeting with first responders and traveling to disaster scenes across the state, we know how essential it is that these devoted public servants have the essential equipment and training they need to do their jobs,” Parson said. “These grants mean law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel will be better equipped in performing their lifesaving work and protecting the public.”
Grant-funded equipment includes patrol vehicles, mobile data terminals, firefighter turnout gear, extrication equipment, cardiac monitors and emergency communications radios. Grants to additional law enforcement, fire service and EMS agencies are still under review. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and was part of Parson’s fiscal year 2023 budget plan.
“This additional funding of more than $6.3 million can truly make a difference for local first responder agencies,” Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten said. “Developing these new grants and then working with the hundreds of diverse applicants was a major accomplishment for our Department of Public Safety grants team. We greatly appreciate the team’s hard work and commitment.”
Eligible grant expenditures include equipment, supplies, training/travel, personnel, and benefits. Some equipment may have specific requirements to be eligible for funding. The grants require a local match of 50 percent (for example, if the total cost of a project were $40,000, the local recipient would be responsible for $20,000 and the ARPA share of the grant would be $20,000). Local ARPA grant funds may be utilized for the local match.