Our History

The Raytown Fire Protection District of Jackson County, Missouri (“Raytown Fire Protection District”) has been providing emergency services to the residents of the Raytown area since 1945, with 2023 marking our 78th year of service. The Fire District was established by volunteers who recognized the need for fire protection in the area in 1945 and was formally incorporated in 1947 with George Smith serving as Fire Chief. The Raytown area began to develop as a suburban bedroom community after World War II and the City of Raytown became incorporated in 1950. In 1960, Raytown had approximately 17,000 residents. By 1970 Raytown had grown to 33,000 residents and the Fire District had transitioned to a combination career/volunteer department. As the population grew, so did the need for increased fire protection and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The Fire District expanded to two fire stations in the 1960’s and started to provide first responder EMS services. By 1980, the Fire District was hiring its first paramedics and training employees as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The Fire District started to deliver Advanced Life Support (ALS) services in 2000. Fire District staffing was gradually increased to deal with the increasing call volume and transitioned to full career in 2003. As the community has aged, so has the need for emergency services, particularly EMS. The Fire District responded to 2,071 requests for service in 1999, with that number growing to 3,375 in 2012. Another significant increase occurred in 2012 as the Fire District entered into an automatic aid agreement with the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD). During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Fire District responded to 7,658 incidents, with approximately 84% EMS related.

District Profile

The Mission of the Raytown Fire Protection District is to help those in need.

Our Vision for accomplishing this Mission is to create a safer community through fire prevention, disaster preparedness and to provide consistent and professional emergency response.

The Goals of the Raytown Fire Protection District are:

• To deliver comprehensive safety services of the highest quality.

• To support and maintain a safe, healthy, well-trained, and high-performing workforce.

• To provide high-quality advanced life support medical care as part of an integrated emergency

medical care system.

• To attract and retain a highly skilled, dedicated and diverse workforce.

• To foster an organizational culture of trust and accountability.

• To maintain a focus on fiscal accountability and operational efficiency.