JEFFERSON CITY – Two volunteer fire departments in Osage County have been awarded grants for equipment from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

The Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant provided 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, according to the Department of Public Safety. In all, DPS has awarded $1.455 million to 108 fire departments across the state to bolster the firefighting capabilities of small volunteer departments that provide critical protection to their rural communities.

Recipients in this round of grant funding serving Osage County include the Chamois Fire Protection District and the Freeburg Community Fire Association. The Rhineland Area Volunteer Fire Department was also a recipient among fire agencies in the immediate area.

“Missouri’s firefighters stand guard, protecting our communities from fires, natural disasters and other emergencies each and every day,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a release announcing the list of recipients. “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.

“We are extremely pleased to see this funding supplying vitally important equipment to agencies that, despite their small size and tight budgets, provide a true lifeline to the small, rural communities they serve,” Department of Public Safety Director Mark James said. “The 108 volunteer firefighting agencies that received this funding make tremendous sacrifices and take on great risks to themselves in order to protect their neighbors and small businesses that are crucial to their communities.”

DPS announced the first-ever Missouri Volunteer Fire Department Grant in October 2025. There was a 5-percent local cash match. The performance period of the grant ended May 15, 2026.

“Our biggest focus for this grant was the safety of both our community members and volunteers, while also updating aging equipment that has become increasingly unreliable,” said Chamois Fire Protection District Chief Sean Hackmann. “Specifically we used the grant funds to upgrade from two gas powered vent fans to lighter more dependable, safer to operate battery operated fans, two large 6-inch gated intake valves for both engines that were not equipped with them at all, along with new rechargeable flash light batteries.”

The Freeburg fire agency used its grant funding to purchase spare water pumps for its brush trucks.

“We’ve had a couple of situations where we were on fires and found out that the seals on the pump went out,” said Freeburg Fire Chief Brady Iven. “We were still able to get the job done, but when the seals go out, it’s just a matter of time before it’s not usable.”

He added that when seals fail, replacement or finding someone to rebuild them can take weeks. The department also bought a floating water pump to put on a brush truck. Iven said that often crews respond to fires a fair distance from the engine.

“There are ponds everywhere, so we will be able to just throw this in a pond, creek, or any place that has some water for a quick refill,” said Iven.