The Saint Joseph, Missouri Fire Department has been awarded a nearly $117,000 Military Community Reinvestment Grant through the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
This announcement was shared in a recent social media post by the City of Joseph, MO Government.
The Military Community Reinvestment Grant program is designed to assist communities that support military bases and programs, encouraging coordination with federal defense agencies, developing action plans and supporting efforts to attract new or expanded military missions.
The funding will be used to construct a live fire training facility on city-owned property near Rosecrans Memorial Airport. The city will provide matching funds and a starter facility is expected to be in place by May 2026.
The modular facility, which resembles the appearance of a shipping container, can be arranged in various configurations to enable firefighters to train in different types of building scenarios they may encounter.
The fire department hopes to add to the structure with future grants and funding to increase its training experiences.
The social media post also highlighted how St. Joseph firefighters must use other facilities for live fire training, including a plane that is sometimes brought in for that use by the 139th Airlift Wing, which is based at Rosecrans.
However, limitations on the availability of this and other facilities make it difficult for all the city’s firefighters to get the desired three hours of live fire training annually.
Having its own facility will allow the St. Joseph Fire Department to meet that goal. That could have a positive impact on the city’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating, which factors into consumer property insurance costs.
St. Joseph Fire Chief Ivan Klippenstein shared: “The St. Joseph Fire Department, City of St Joseph as well as the 139th are very excited about this opportunity to build a live burn training facility here in St Joseph.
“This is a tool our fire departments have always been in need to have an accessible facility. We are not only excited about the opportunity to train, but to create relationships with old and new partners in the emergency services.”
The St. Joseph Fire Department also shared how they would like for it to become a regional training facility that can be used by other area departments and entities, including the 139th and Missouri Western State University.
The Saint Joseph, Missouri Fire Department has been awarded a nearly $117,000 Military Community Reinvestment Grant through the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
