Missouri American Water Awards Grant to Monarch Fire Protection District and Celebrates Expansion Project on Donated Land

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Monday, Monarch Fire Protection District is set to break ground for a training facility expansion project on land donated by Missouri American Water. The property is located at 911 John Pellet Court in Chesterfield.

First responders will also receive new search and rescue gear purchased with funds provided through the company’s annual Firefighter Grant Program. More than 30 grants were awarded to fire departments and emergency organizations serving communities in Missouri American Water service areas.

“We greatly appreciate the life-saving work our firefighters perform to protect our customers,” said Debbie Dewey, President of Missouri American Water. “We carefully plan and invest in our system to provide reliable water service, which is critical for fire protection. We’re thrilled to further support the Monarch Fire Protection District by donating the land for their expanded training facility and providing an award through our Firefighter Grant Program.”

The new 3,600 sq ft. space will be designed to be compliant to life safety codes and flood plain criteria. It will include:

• A large pavilion for firefighters to practice live fire and rescue drills,
• An indoor 30-student classroom, and
• A storage enclosure capable of securing equipment necessary for modern training facilities.

“Nearing the expiration of the lease and while negotiating an extension, the Missouri American Water Company graciously offered to donate the property to the Fire District,” said Chief Cary Spiegel of Monarch Fire Protection District. “The Training Facility will provide training opportunities where we can partner with the private sector, the Water Company for example, and train with those employees on specific hazards faced in those fields.”

Construction will begin immediately. The projected completion date is Spring 2021.

Missouri American Water

Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million people.

With a history dating to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Monarch Fire Protection District

The Monarch Fire Protection District was chartered by the State of Missouri in 1957 as the Chesterfield Fire Protection District with three pieces of equipment, approximately 12 volunteers, and two engine houses. In November 2003, after the Board of Directors of the Chesterfield Fire Protection District voted to change the name of the District, the District officially became known as the Monarch Fire Protection District. Today, the District has five fire houses, an administration building, training facility and maintenance facility; it covers slightly more than 62 square miles and services over 60,000 people who live in all or part of the cities of Ballwin, Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights, Wildwood, and unincorporated St. Louis County. The District now has 125 dedicated employees, responded to over 7,900 alarms in 2019, and have already responded to 6,613 alarms in 2020. Please follow Monarch Fire Protection District on Facebook to watch as our training facility expansion moves through to completion.