PRESS RELEASE
The Warrensburg Fire Department has taken delivery of six new sets of structural firefighter personnel protective equipment (PPE).
The equipment purchase was made possible through the MO ARPA SLFRF Fire Protection Grant program managed by the Missouri Department of Public Safety. The competitive grant process allowed applicants to apply for up to $20,000, however, it required a matching contribution of 50 percent. Match requirements could be satisfied with either a cash match or in-kind match by applying money spent on related projects between 2020 and 2023.
The fire department leveraged two previous PPE purchases to satisfy the match requirement of the grant and completed this project with no additional cash applied. The purchase of this equipment has allowed the fire department to replenish a good portion of its PPE supply and provide its firefighters with quality equipment that will ultimately position them to protect life in Warrensburg.
These additional sets of gear will also allow our staff to have spare sets of gear available to allow for proper cleaning after fires and other incidents. Cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general population. By having these additional sets of gear, it can be properly decontaminated yet crews still are able to immediately respond to additional emergency calls. This is one of many steps that we have implemented that will help us to lower the risk of cancer for our staff.
Taking advantage of grant opportunities such as this helps us to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by the City Manager, City Council, and the citizens of Warrensburg. We are always looking for opportunities to leverage our dollars and efficiently serve the citizens of Warrensburg as well as take care of the firefighters that serve you.
