Missoula Rural Fire District Impact Fees

Project Description:

Ongoing growth in the unincorporated areas of Missoula County has placed greater demand on fire and emergency services. Missoula Rural Fire District (MRFD) is considering impact fees to help fund these needed services. MRFD is one of several fire departments serving Missoula County, with its service area covering more than 84-square miles. The MRFD Board of Trustees, Impact Fee Advisory Committee and the Missoula Board of County Commissioners will review the adoption of impact fees to fund infrastructure improvements and equipment for MRFD.

Project Background:

In 2024, MRFD responded to more than 4,000 incidents. MRFD operates five fire stations, 24 hours per day. MRFD provides fire, advanced life support emergency medical services, technical rescue and hazardous materials response services to more than a dozen neighborhoods and communities in unincorporated Missoula County.

Demands for MRFD’s services have grown, and the district faces increasing needs for expanded facilities and equipment. To fund the improvements required to maintain reliable fire protection, MRFD is completing a study with the intent of proposing impact fees on new development within its service area. MRFD will be the second fire district in Missoula County to propose the use of impact fees for its service area. The County has been collecting impact fees on behalf of the Frenchtown Rural Fire District since 2024.

MRFD has engaged with a consultant, TischlerBise,, Inc.to conduct an impact fee study. The study will evaluate the need for impact fees and provide guidance on its assessment and collection.

The impact fee study will:

• examine MRFD’s existing infrastructure and level of service
• identify capital improvements necessary to meet the future needs for fire protection and emergency services, as well as those necessary for continued operation and maintenance of the infrastructure
• determine the amount of impact fees for each new development

What are impact fees?

Impact fees are one-time payments applied to new development to support growth-related infrastructure costs. Impact fees are calculated by service area location, the size of new development and by category of development. Impact fees can’t be spent on staffing or operation costs; they can only be used for new improvements such as fire stations or equipment. Some impact fees are collected and applied to countywide services, like the Sheriff’s Office, while other impact fees are collected for a specific service area or program, like the Frenchtown Rural Fire District.

Project Timeline:

Impact Fee Advisory Committee Meeting: Wednesday, April 15, 3:30 p.m.

• In-person location: 127 E. Main St., 2nd floor. Lands and Communities Conference Room
• Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published at https://missoulacomt.portal.civicclerk.com/?category_id=34

Study completion anticipated in June 2026

Impact fee adoption anticipated in Summer 2026

Public Comment:

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