TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, today, announced, that the Kansas Insurance Department has made its annual distribution to local Firefighter Relief Associations (FRAs). Pursuant to the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act, $16,863,037.79 has been distributed among 554 local FRAs throughout the state.
“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,” said Schmidt. “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.”
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.
The statewide distribution of the 2023 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 by visiting insurance.kansas.gov/firefighters.
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The Kansas Legislature established the Kansas Insurance Department in 1871, currently led by Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. The mission of the Department is to regulate companies that sell policies in Kansas to ensure solvency and compliance with state law, educate consumers about all things insurance and securities, and advocate for a strong and competitive market to give Kansans choices when shopping for products that meet their needs.
