Willard Fire Protection District

What Willard Fire Protection District does

Willard Fire Protection District is a political subdivision of the State of Missouri, organized under Missouri law as a combination fire protection district covering 72 square miles of northwest Greene County. Founded in 1954 as the Willard Community Fire Department with four volunteers, the entity became a fire protection district in 1988 following voter approval of an initial tax levy, and hired its first paid personnel in 2012 after a second levy. The district is governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors led by President Kelly Davis, with day-to-day operations managed by Fire Chief Kenneth Scott.

The district delivers fire suppression, Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical response under Mercy EMS Protocol, hazardous materials response, brush fire response, fire prevention inspections, and public fire-safety education across three facilities: the headquarters and Station 1 at 240 N State Highway Z in Willard, Station 2 in Springfield at 3891 West Farm Road 94, and Station 3 in Springfield at 2455 North Pine Avenue. Force structure comprises 16 paid personnel and roughly 10 volunteer firefighters, supplemented by three certified car seat technicians. In 2015 the district opened a multi-million-dollar headquarters that includes a history museum and a 70-seat community training room used by Mercy Hospital and the University of Missouri. Annual call volume exceeds 1,800, with approximately 75% of responses being medical emergencies.

Revenue is derived almost entirely from two voter-approved property tax levies (1988 and 2012), supplemented by minor fee revenue from $15 residential address signs and burn permits. The district holds mutual aid agreements with the City of Springfield, surrounding Greene County fire departments, and provides fire response coverage to the Springfield-Branson National Airport. Public outreach channels include a WordPress website with downloadable safety resources, audio and video public service announcements, a Facebook presence, school education programs at Willard Public Schools, and quarterly Chamber of Commerce participation. No AI, venture funding, patents, or third-party integration capabilities are disclosed.

Name

Willard Fire Protection District

Legal name

Willard Fire Protection District

Website

https://willardfire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Willard Fire Protection District is a Missouri political subdivision providing fire suppression, ALS emergency medical response, hazardous materials response, brush fire response, and public fire-safety education across 72 square miles of northwest Greene County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical response
• Fire prevention education
• Hazardous materials response
• Brush fire response

Headquarters

HQ city

Willard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tax Levy Funding: Public fire protection district funded through voter-approved tax levies. First tax levy passed in 1988, second tax levy passed in 2012 to hire first paid personnel.
2. Fee-based Services: Residential address signs sold for $15 flat fee. Burn permits issued for open burning. Fees support operational costs.
3. Mutual Aid Services: Responds to mutual aid calls throughout northwest Greene County, including providing Springfield-Branson National Airport fire response services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Willard Fire Protection District is a combination fire district providing fire suppression, Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical response at paramedic level under Mercy EMS Protocol, hazardous materials response, brush fire response, rescue services, and public fire-safety education. The district also offers ancillary fee-based services including residential address signs and burn permits, and conducts community outreach through school visits and public service announcements.

Product overview

Willard Fire Protection District is a combination fire district (mixing paid and volunteer firefighters) providing comprehensive emergency response services. The district operates as a unified emergency services organization offering fire prevention, public education, emergency medical response (ALS/Paramedic level), fire suppression, hazardous materials response, brush fire response, and training services. Key community-facing products include residential address signs, burn permits, volunteer firefighter recruitment, car seat safety checks, and public education materials. The district covers 72 square miles and responds to over 1,800 calls annually, with approximately 75% being medical calls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services Fire suppression services to minimize losses from structural and wildland fires across the 72-square-mile district, serving residents and property owners within district boundaries.
• Emergency Medical Response (ALS) Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical response at paramedic level under Mercy EMS Protocol, providing non-transport medical services. Approximately 75% of the district's 1,800+ annual calls are medical emergencies.
• Hazardous Materials Response Specialized response services for hazardous materials incidents within the district and mutual aid areas, serving residents and government facilities.
• Brush Fire Response Wildland and brush fire response services, including grass fires and wildland/urban interface fire situations across the 72-square-mile district.
• Public Education Programs Educational tools and programs for teaching people of all ages about fire safety, including downloadable guides, checklists, escape plans, smoke alarm guides, and school visit programs teaching 911 awareness.
• Residential Address Signs Aluminum reflective address signs sold for a $15 flat fee to help responders locate homes faster. Signs can be installed on mailboxes or yards and are reflective at night.
• Burn Permits Permits for open burning within the district, with information provided through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources fact sheet.
• Volunteer Firefighter Program Volunteer firefighter and medical responder program requiring ages 18-65, valid driver's license, background check, and completion of 12 hours quarterly training and 60 hours quarterly shift coverage.
• Training Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to over 1800 calls per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercy EMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWillard Fire Protection District operates under Mercy EMS Protocol as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) District. Mercy provides paramedic-level protocols and serves as the regional re-certification host for the district's EMS personnel.
• Springfield-Branson National AirportcoreOthersProvides fire response services for the Springfield-Branson National Airport as part of regional emergency coverage.
• Greene County Fire DepartmentsminorOthersMutual aid agreements with fire departments throughout northwest Greene County for coordinated emergency response.
• City of SpringfieldminorOthersMutual aid coverage throughout northwest Greene County including the City of Springfield for emergency response coordination.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Republic Fire Department: Combination fire/EMS agency serving Republic, MO, in the same Springfield metropolitan ring; comparable tax-levy funding model, combination staffing, and ALS-level EMS response.
• Nixa Fire Protection District: Combination career-and-volunteer fire/EMS agency serving Nixa in Christian County, immediately adjacent to Willard's northwest Greene County service area; comparable hybrid staffing model and EMS-heavy call mix.
• Clever Fire Protection District: Small Christian County combination fire/EMS district southwest of Springfield; comparable combination staffing, ALS/BLS EMS service, and rural response footprint.
• Strafford Fire Protection District: Rural/suburban combination fire/EMS district east of Springfield in Greene County; directly comparable in scale, tax-levy funding, and hybrid staffing profile.
• Ash Grove Fire Protection District: Combination fire/EMS agency covering rural northwest Greene County adjacent to Willard's territory; matches the small-district, volunteer-heavy, tax-levy-funded model.
• Battlefield Fire Protection District: Fire protection district serving Battlefield, MO, in southern Greene County; very similar political-subdivision structure, combination staffing, and EMS mission overlap with Willard.

Broad incumbents

• Springfield Fire Department: Municipal all-career fire/EMS agency serving the City of Springfield; broader resource base and overlapping mutual-aid responsibilities with Willard across northwest Greene County.

Regional players

• Walnut Grove Fire Protection District: Small rural fire protection district in southwest Greene County; comparable rural Missouri district with tax-levy funding and combination/volunteer staffing.
• Fair Grove Fire Protection District: Combination fire/EMS district northeast of Springfield in Greene County; similar small-district scale, EMS call mix, and Missouri tax-levy funding mechanism.
• Brookline Fire Protection District: Volunteer- and combination-staffed fire district in northern Greene County; comparable small-town Missouri fire district profile with similar funding structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/willardfire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willard-fire-protection-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Willard Fire Protection District