17 November 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) — The State Fire Marshal’s Office has announced the Kansas Firefighter Recruitment & Safety Grant recipients for the 2024 fiscal year.
The grant is available to volunteer and part-time fire departments in Kansas to help with the purchase of personal protection equipment including coats, pants, helmets, gloves, hoods, and boots, along with new masks for breathing apparatuses.
The funds can also be used to fund junior firefighter programs and to cover the cost of medical physicals that are not covered by the firefighter’s insurance or reimbursed by their fire department. In addition, they can cover the cost of purchasing strategically placed washer-extractor machines.
Fighting fires exposes firefighters to a variety of dangerous carcinogens that can become trapped in their protective equipment. According to research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters in the United States have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with some form of cancer and are 14% more likely to die from a cancer-related illness.
In addition to cancer risks, in Kansas, there have been several line-of-duty deaths due to heart attacks. Through the funding for physicals for these departments, it’s hoped the additional medical screenings will help uncover medical issues and treat them, helping to prevent firefighter deaths.
The grant totaled $400,000, of which, $350,000 has been allocated for protective equipment, and $45,000 for 9 departments to purchase washer-extractor machines. The remaining $5,000 will be used for firefighter physicals and junior firefighter programs.
The list of departments who received the grant is below:
Abilene Fire Department
Allen County Volunteer Fire Department
Andover Fire Department
Argonia & Dixon Township Fire Department
Arma Fire Department
Atchison Rural Fire District # 1
Atchison Rural Fire District # 2
Butler County Fire District # 10
Butler County Fire District # 3
Caney Volunteer Fire Department
Centralia Fire Department
Chase County Fire Department
Cherryvale Fire Department
City of Tonganoxie Fire Department
Clark County Fire District # 1-Ashland Division
Clearwater Fire Department
Colby Fire Department
Columbus Fire Department
Consolidated Fire District # 1
Cowley County Fire District # 3
Crawford County Fire District # 2
Crawford County Fire District # 4
Edwardsville Fire Department
El Dorado Fire Department
Ellinwood Fire Department
Ellis City Fire Department
Ellis County Fire District # 1
Eureka Fire Department
Fairmount Township Fire Department
Galena Fire Department
Galesburg Fire Department
Hackberry Township Fire District
Halstead Fire EMS
Haviland Volunteer Fire Department
Herington Fire Department
Hesston Fire/EMS Department
Horton Fire Department
Jefferson County Fire District # 5
Lehigh Fire Department
Lyon County Fire District # 3
Lyon County Fire District # 5
Mankato Volunteer Fire Department
Marion County Fire District # 3
McPherson Fire Department
Meade Fire Department
Mission Township Fire Department
Moran Marmaton-Osage Fire Department
Mound Valley Volunteer Fire Department
Mulberry Volunteer Fire Department
Mulvane Fire Rescue
Olpe Fire District #1
Osage County Fire District # 5
Oswego Fire Department
Ottawa County Fire District # 6
Plainville Fire Department
Powhattan Fire Department
Pratt County Township #6
Rush County Rural Fire District #1
Russell Fire Department
Saint Paul Mission Township Fire Department
Sedgwick Fire Department
Seneca Fire Department
Shawnee County Fire District # 1
Shawnee County Fire District # 4
Sheridan County Rural Fire District # 1
Soldier Township Fire Department
South Haven Volunteer Fire Department
Stranger Township Fire Department
Syracuse Fire Department
Tonganoxie Township Rural Fire District
Towanda Fire Rescue Wabaunsee County Fire District # 3
Wabaunsee County Fire District # 4
Washington County Fire District # 2
West Mineral Fire Department
Whitewater River Consolidated Fire Department
Wilson Fire Department