2024 Missouri State Fair Volunteer Fire Department
The fair is completed and a great August weekend of weather on opening day set the stage for fantastic crowds to visit the fairgrounds. Our crews stayed busy with daily activities, training and events as usual. The cool weather start allowed for the crews to be available for lots of apparatus tours and fire safety education at the firehouse. We helped Smokey Bear celebrate his 80th birthday and escorted him around the grounds daily. We had a huge crowd at the firehouse celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri on Saturday, August 10th for the Emergency Services Day at the fair.
We invited all former Missouri State Fair Volunteer Fire Department (MSFVFD) members who have served at the fair to attend the evening meal to celebrate this milestone. The Missouri State Fair presented a new recognition started this year to our own RB Brown for an inaugural member of the “Friends of the Fair” award. It was presented to those who have gone above and beyond to assist the fair each year and recognize the behind-the-scenes people who make the fair a success each year. There were many deserving applicants, 27 this year, and this looks to be a great program to recognize the volunteers going forward. The new fair Director Jason Moore and the Missouri State Fair Commissioners and staff were on hand for the surprise presentation. Well deserved RB. Thanks for all you do for our Department. I think our kitchen staff was very worried about how they were going to feed everyone in attendance at the packed firehouse. Great job to all the staff for keeping this a secret to surprise RB.
Deron Cherry was invited to the firehouse to speak about volunteerism, and he thanked us all for what we do. He is a Kansas City Chief Hall of Famer who reminded us to never forget who helped us get to where we are and how important it is to give back to our communities. Deron and his family were given the tour of the fairgrounds and rode with us in the 1929 fire engine with the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch parade around the grounds. Mr. Fix It Ed Daugherty had the opportunity to assist the Clydesdale crew repair their “Pooper Scooper” golf cart that lost a wheel in the parade. It is great to have such a staff that helps out with whatever is needed. Quite the “Summer’s Best Story” for Ed.
We had lots of first-time volunteers again this year and many ask about how they can be a part of the crew for next year. Follow us on Facebook at the Missouri State Fair Volunteer Fire Department. We had a great crew posting all our activities and photos this year to help show our members all that we do during the Fair. A special thanks to the FFAM members who have put in so much time each year to allow us to continue this amazing 11-day volunteer fire department. I believe 45 personnel stayed the entire 11 days on staff. 40 first time FFAM members volunteered and our daily staff averaged 67. We have so many partners each year who make this happen by donating equipment, supplies and food. We received food donations from the following: Central Dairy, Burger’s Smokehouse, Rose Acres, Tyson Foods, Heritage Tractor, Missouri Cattleman’s Association, FDC Coffee, Mrs. Dell’s, Conagra, Schreiber Foods, Smithfield Farms, Woods Supermarket, Triumph Foods, Schweizer Orchards. MFA Oil, and many department members who brought garden produce, cakes, pies and porkburgers.
Thanks to Chris Moore and Chad Kosmiski of Johnson County Fire Protection District for coming and grilling pork burgers and hot dogs again this year on Emergency Services Day. This is their second year volunteering to cook and advised they will be back next year. If anyone wants to volunteer a day to come and cook for the group, please reach out to me to visit. That really helps our staff out on the busy weekend meal and gives the cook staff an easier day. We are very grateful to the ladies who volunteer their time to cook for the 100 to 150 that eat every evening at the firehouse. That is a huge chore and the home cooking is the “Summer’s Best Story” at the firehouse.
Governor Mike Parson, Lieutenant Governor Kehoe and Senator Lincoln Hough had a ceremonial bill signing at the firehouse to help fund a new firehouse on the fairgrounds. Senator Crawford and Representative Pollitt along with Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn were also on hand with the State Fair Commission for this momentous bill signing. We are so grateful to all the members who visited with their local leaders to gather support for this project. Great job to all the FFAM leaders on this great accomplishment! I will close out with an invitation for you to sign up to attend the 2025 Missouri State Fair and be a part of our department.
FFAM
