BY JOE JENNINGS

Where can you find a one-of-a-kind, fully functional fire department that operates for only 11 days each year? Missouri, the Show-Me State, boasts of just such a department!

The Missouri State Fair Fire Department (MSFFD), created specifically to address fire safety concerns at the annual state fair, is a permanent committee of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri (FFAM). It's the only fully functional fire department in the United States that operates for only 11 days each year. The FFAM is a statewide association comprised of fire service members and supporters dedicated to disseminating reliable fire service information, promoting mutual aid in fire/rescue services, and encouraging cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

THE BEGINNING

Founded in 1962 as a collaboration between the FFAM and the Missouri State Fair director, the MSFFD's original purpose was public fire safety education. It offered a firefighting display for the fair's thousands of annual visitors, emphasizing fire prevention, fire safety, and fire suppression; static displays were supported with pamphlets, lectures, and demonstrations. Staffed by firefighters who volunteered from across the state, the MSFFD was originally housed in a 250-square-foot army surplus tent. Fire personnel and visitors were subject to the thunderstorms, the heat, the humidity, and the dust of mid-Missouri in August.

Restroom and shower facilities were few and far between on the fairgrounds, making those first days of service even more challenging. The early MSFFD personnel, with primitive accommodations, withstood all that nature could throw at them and established a firm foundation for the department's future.

THE MISSION EXPANDS

The mission of the MSFFD, like many other departments across the nation, has changed over the years as it identified additional demands for service. In 1965, the MSFFD's role expanded from public education to providing fire protection and ambulance service for the entire fairgrounds, which up until then was provided by the local fire department and ambulance service. Jurisdictions throughout Missouri loaned the MSFFD fire apparatus, including three engines and two jeeps, and 50 firefighters volunteered their time and expertise to staff the department.

The advantage of on-site fire protection became apparent during the 1965 State Fair, when a race car went out of control and careened into the grandstands, causing several deaths and multiple injuries. On-scene fire personnel brought order out of the chaos and assisted the injured fairgoers.

In 1968, the MSFFD moved to a permanent fire station, to which a 5,000-square-foot addition was added in 1992. The station has four apparatus bays and provides climate-controlled housing for up to 77 firefighters. The facility is available during the remainder of the year for meetings and statewide training classes and serves as the focal point for educational presentations and interaction with the public.

The MSFFD started delivering advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical services (EMS) in 1981. The department offers ambulance treatment/transport services and maintains a first-aid triage and treatment center at the fire station. All medical services are provided at no cost to the patient.

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