Planning Ahead Together
There are some big changes coming to FFAM in 2026 and 2027. This is a bit lengthy, but contains very important information, so PLEASE READ!
Meetings
For 2026, we will move to quarterly meetings. The meeting dates for 2026 will be:
- February 1 – 9:00 am in Sedalia
- April 26 (Convention April 24-26) – 9:00 am in Liberty
- August 2 – 9:00 am in Sedalia
- November 1 – 9:00 am in Sedalia
Meeting locations are subject to change and any changes would be announced on our Facebook page.
Magazine
Our budget faced some serious constraints for 2026. The amount requested by committees versus the projected income was -$22,381.78. The cost of doing business continues to rise and we can’t continue to operate as is without some major cuts.
In order to maintain our higher budgeted areas (department grants, scholarships, state fair, etc), the Budget Committee made the difficult decision to cut two magazines for 2026, saving approximately $24,000. This allows those committee budgets and special projects to remain funded.
The magazine for 2026 will be quarterly.
- January/February/March – submission deadline January 23
- April/May/June – submission deadline April 17
- July/August/September – submission deadline July 24
- October/November/December – submission deadline October 23
Submission deadlines will be sent out prior to each issue. The magazine will increase back to 6 annually (bimonthly) in 2027.
Dues Increase
The cost of business continues to rise and our budget clearly shows the need for additional income if we want to continue our benefits and programs. We have not increased membership dues since 2018. Keep in mind that of the $10 active member dues, only $7 remains for FFAM operations and $3 goes to the Firefighters Memorial Foundation in Kingdom City.
One example is the rising cost of business – in 2018, it cost $35k to print and mail six magazines to our members. In 2025, it cost $76k to print and mail six magazines to our members. The cost of printing and postage has increased tremendously. We have also added $10k in department grants since our last dues increase and we continue to look for new benefits to offer to our members.
Different dues increase options were discussed at length and the Board of Directors voted on the following increase is effective for the 2027 membership year.
- Fire Department only dues $300
- Fire Department dues when including individual members $100
- Fire Active Member dues $20
- Junior Firefighter dues $20
- Retired Member dues $0
- Directors/Council dues $0
- Associate Member dues $25
- Sustaining Member dues $25
- EMS Department only dues $300
- EMS Department dues when including individual members $100
- EMS Active Member dues $20
- 911 Department only dues $300
- 911 Department dues when including individual members $100
- 911 Active Member dues $20
- Educational Institution $100
- Educational Members $20
- Corporate Members $50
There will be NO increase to the AD&D insurance.
This increase will provide additional funding for more grants, scholarships and other projects.
It will also allow us to go back to publishing six magazines per year, which is a very important part of our membership and dissemination of information.
We are sharing this information early and as much as possible in 2026, so you can plan your budget accordingly for next year.
Membership & Additions
Forgot to submit your application and dues for 2026? Not a problem! The FFAM membership is based on a calendar year (January 1 – December 31), but you can join at any time throughout the year, as well as add new/additional members throughout the year. The application is available at www.ffam.org/members/.
Please reach out to your District Director, Assistant Director(s), or me if you have questions.
FFAM
