Three Texas County fire departments were among 108 across Missouri receiving about $1.455 million from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
The funds are earmarked for rural communities. Licking Rural, Tyrone and Raymondville received funds.
The Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant provides up to $15,000 for the purchase of equipment to small volunteer departments with annual operating budgets of $50,000 or less, where resources for essential firefighting equipment can be strained.
“Missouri’s firefighters stand guard, protecting our communities from fires, natural disasters and other emergencies each and every day,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said. “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.”
The most requested items were firefighter turnout gear, extrication equipment, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and interoperable radios and repeaters for communication. There was also strong demand for basic supplies like hoses, nozzles, power tools and saws.
The agency announced the first-ever Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant in October 2025. There was a 5% local cash match, which means for equipment costing $15,789.47, the local match share would be $789.47 and the state share of 95% would be $15,000. The performance period of the grant ended May 15, 2026.
