TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has announced the Kansas Department of Insurance has made the annual distribution to local firefighter relief associations, pursuant to the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act. The distribution included $91,280.04 divided among seven firefighter relief associations in Osage County.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act acknowledges that by providing additional protections for firefighters and their loved ones,” Schmidt said. “The act not only gives first responders needed safety nets, but it also allows local communities to provide their citizens with improved firefighting equipment and resources.”
Osage County’s distribution included: Burlingame Firefighter Relief Association, $15,641.04; Osage County Fire District No. 1 Firefighter Relief Association, $18,894.13; OCFD No. 2 Firefighter Relief Association, $18,929.47; OCFD No. 3 Firefighter Relief Association, $6,211.50; OCFD No. 4 Firefighter Relief Association, $14,108.99; OCFD No. 5 Firefighter Relief Association, $13,594.53; and Scranton Firefighter Relief Association, $3,900.38.
The funds from the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act are generated by a two percent tax paid by insurance companies on fire and lightning insurance premiums written in Kansas. Associations primarily use their distributed funds for insurance premiums and safety enhancements. The relief funds may pay for the health, accident, disability, and life insurance premiums of local firefighters. Safety enhancements such as new firetrucks, fire station building improvements, and firefighting gear can be purchased via relief funds loaned to local governing entities.
This year’s statewide distributions totaled more than $20.7 million, distributed to 552 firefighter relief associations. The statewide distribution of the 2025 Kansas Firefighters Relief Act funds can be viewed at insurance.ks.gov/otherservices/firefighters/fra-relief-distributions.php. Kansans can learn more about the Firefighter Relief Act at insurance.kansas.gov/consumers/firefighters.
