Missouri Governor Demands $100,000 Increase to State Firefighting Program

According to a recently published State of Missouri Governor's Office press release for August 16, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has announced that he will be asking state Congress to add into next year's state budget increased funding for Missouri's firefighters. The funds would go to train more firefighters and to make more and more Missouri towns and cities safer from fires.

Governor Blunt told the press, "Our firefighters are among Missouri's bravest public servants. They routinely put their lives on the line to protect our families and friends. It is appropriate that our state do all that we can to support them. That is why I am announcing nearly a one-third increase in funding to help train our firefighters. I want to commend the bravery and sacrifices that all of our firefighters make to ensure our safety."

The Governor is asking for state Congress to consider adding an additional $100,000, or a 31.6 percent increase, from the state's General Revenue for bigger and better firefighters training. This would bring the entire budget for this specific initiative up to $415,908 for the 2009 Fiscal Year.

At the moment, the current state budget only includes $315,908 for the support of the training of Missouri firefighters.

The 31.6 percent, or $100,000, increase will provide additional tools that firefighters need. It would include better and additional fire fighting training, fire service management, life saving techniques, arson detection, technical rescue, fire safety inspections, and hazardous recognition and response. Not only will this benefit firefighters, but it will also make more Missouri residents throughout the state safer.

Firefighting and the well being and retirement of firefighters has been a huge campaign for Missouri Governor Blunt. In fact, he signed a legislation into law that forbids any private or public employers anywhere in the state from firing volunteer firefighters from their jobs as a result of their actions and commitments as a volunteer firefighter. This will help ensure that all volunteer firefighters have secure jobs to fall back on no matter what.