What Missoula Rural Fire District does

Missoula Rural Fire District (MRFD) is a public fire district organized under Montana state law, serving a population of more than 38,000 across over 84 square miles in Missoula County, Western Montana. The district operates five fire stations on a 24/7 basis and employs a Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, five civilian positions, 54 career firefighters working a 24/48 schedule, and up to 15 volunteer firefighters. Its jurisdiction spans three rivers, Interstate 90, multiple highways, and a mix of industrial, suburban, and wildland-urban-interface areas.

MRFD provides a full suite of emergency response and prevention services, including fire suppression, advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, fire prevention and inspections, code enforcement, fire investigation, and fire and life safety education. Additional community-facing services include free monthly car seat safety inspections, burn permits, and wildfire risk assessments. The district holds Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) accreditation and provides a public Live Call Data feed as an operational transparency tool.

The district is funded primarily through property taxes levied on residents within its boundaries as a special district; services are provided free of charge to district residents and visitors. Governance is exercised through a publicly meeting Board of Trustees. There is no proprietary technology, no venture or equity ownership, and the entity operates as a government/municipal service rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Missoula Rural Fire District

Legal name

Missoula Rural Fire District

Website

https://mrfdfire.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Missoula Rural Fire District is a Montana public fire district serving 38,000+ residents across 84+ square miles with five 24-hour stations, providing fire suppression, ALS EMS, technical rescue, hazmat response, and prevention services funded by property taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Fire and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Disaster Preparedness, Risk Reduction & Early Warning (DRR) (BPAGAAAB), Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Technical rescue operations
• Hazardous materials response
• Fire prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax Revenue (Special District): As a fire district/special district, primary funding comes from property taxes levied on residents within the district boundaries. This is a recurring public funding model typical for municipal fire services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missoula Rural Fire District is a public, CFAI-accredited fire district providing integrated fire suppression, advanced life support EMS, technical rescue, and hazardous materials response across more than 84 square miles of Missoula County, Western Montana. The district supplements response with a Community Risk Reduction Division delivering fire prevention, inspections, code enforcement, fire investigation, and life safety education, plus car seat safety checks, burn permits, and wildfire risk assessments. Operations run continuously from five fire stations staffed by 54 career firefighters and up to 15 volunteers.

Product overview

Missoula Rural Fire District operates as a full-service fire district providing integrated emergency response and prevention services. The district operates five fire stations staffed 24/7 with 54 career firefighters and up to 15 volunteers, covering over 84 square miles in Missoula County. Core services include Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services (Advanced Life Support), Technical Rescue, and Hazardous Materials Response. The Community Risk Reduction Division offers Fire Prevention, Inspections, Code Enforcement, Fire Investigation, and Fire and Life Safety Education. Additional services include Car Seat Safety inspections, Burn Permits, and Wildfire Risk Assessments. A Live Call Data feature provides transparency on district operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Fire suppression services responding to structural, wildland, and other fire emergencies across the district's 84 square mile coverage area, delivered 24/7 from five fire stations.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Advanced Life Support emergency medical services provided 24/7 from five fire stations, handling medical emergencies for district residents and visitors.
• Technical Rescue Technical rescue services including specialized rescue operations for various emergency situations within the district's jurisdiction.
• Hazardous Materials Response Response capabilities for hazardous materials incidents within the district's jurisdiction, delivered by trained personnel from staffed fire stations.
• Fire Prevention and Life Safety Community Risk Reduction Division services including fire prevention, inspections, code enforcement, fire investigation, and fire and life safety education for district residents and businesses.
• Car Seat Safety Program Free monthly car seat inspections and installations conducted on the second Saturday of each month, with the district serving as a member of the Safe Kids Coalition for Missoula County.
• Burn Permits Permitting services for legal outdoor burning within the district boundaries, with applicable fees per published fee schedules.
• Wildfire Risk Assessment Assessment services for property owners to evaluate wildfire risk, particularly in wildland urban interface areas of the district.
• Fire Investigation Investigation of fire origin and cause within the district, conducted as part of the Community Risk Reduction Division's responsibilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Responded to over 4,000 incidents in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Safe Kids Coalition for Missoula CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRFD is a member of the Safe Kids Coalition for Missoula County. Through this partnership, MRFD provides free monthly car seat safety checks and inspections, contributing to child passenger safety in the community.
• Drive Safe MissoulaminorOthersPartner organization for car seat safety referrals. Provides additional car seat resources and technicians for the community. Contact: Steve Schmidt (406) 258-3880
• Safe Kids MontanaminorOthersState-level partner providing car seat safety resources and technicians. Contact: Brenda Plascencia (406) 926-2522
• Frenchtown FireminorOthersPartner fire department with several car seat technicians on staff. Available for referrals when MRFD cannot accommodate. Phone: (406) 626-5791
• Missoula County Health DepartmentminorOthersProvides free car seats subject to needs and availability for community members. Contact: (406) 258-3880
• AAA - MissoulaminorOthersCar seat safety partner with technicians available. Contact: Lauryn (406) 829-5506

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): National standards-setting body whose codes and certifications (including those underpinning CFAI accreditation) shape MRFD's operating standards. Not a service competitor, but the broader industry incumbent governing MRFD's compliance and training frameworks.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Professional association representing fire service leadership globally. Sets leadership benchmarks, training, and policy frameworks that MRFD's chief officers participate in. Comparable as the broader industry framework within which MRFD operates.

Emerging players

• ImageTrend: Software vendor providing electronic patient care reporting, fire records management, and operational analytics to fire-EMS agencies. Increasingly used by mid-sized districts like MRFD; represents the technology layer that could digitize and potentially differentiate MRFD's operations.

Regional players

• Mineral County Fire Council: Multi-station rural fire coordination entity in western Montana providing suppression, EMS, and rescue across a sparsely populated area. Comparable to MRFD in its rural/wildland risk profile and small-career-staffing model.
• Boulder Rural Fire Protection District: CFAI-accredited rural fire district in Boulder County, Colorado, with comparable wildland-urban interface and suburban-rural mix. Useful comparison for accredited mid-sized districts operating west-of-the-Mississippi.
• Seeley Lake Fire District: Western Montana fire district serving a small, high-wildfire-risk community in the Blackfoot Valley. Comparable in its WUI exposure and rural Montana operating context, though smaller in scale than MRFD.
• Bigfork Fire District: Lake County, Montana fire district with a similar mix of structural and wildland response needs. Provides a comparable benchmark for staffing models, station footprint, and revenue structure in a rural Montana setting.

Direct peers

• Frenchtown Rural Fire District: Neighboring Missoula County rural fire district explicitly referenced as a partner and referral destination for MRFD's car seat safety program. Same rural/wildland-urban interface risk profile and similar Montana special-district governance model.
• East Missoula Fire Service Area: Adjacent fire service area in Missoula County serving a smaller population but with comparable rural/suburban mix. Operates under a similar service-area model with overlapping mutual aid relationships with MRFD.
• Missoula City Fire Department: The municipal fire department serving the City of Missoula directly adjacent to MRFD's jurisdiction. Closest functional peer in the same region, providing overlapping fire, EMS, and rescue services to a comparable western Montana population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/with_replies
• Facebookfacebook.com/missoularuralfiredistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missoula-rural-fire-district

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missoula Rural Fire District