The processes of fighting fires are strenuous ones. The personnel involved exert a tremendous amount of
energy during those activities. It takes a lot of calories and fluids to keep their bodies going efficiently and
therefore safely. Replenishing those calories and fluids rapidly is critical to the well-being of our firefighters.
Until November of 2015, emergency services in St. Charles County relied on other agencies to provide nutrition
and fluid replenishment as well as immediate aid for the victims of disaster. Unfortunately, with the closing of
the local agency office in St. Charles County, the response times became too long to be able to provide canteen
services for the responders on-scene. At that point, it was decided to create a group to be able to provide
canteen service and on-scene victim support as soon as possible. In December 2015, ‘Central County Fire
Rescue’ (a.k.a. CCFR) formed its canteen and victim assistance unit: REHAB-95.
In November 2022, with collaboration from the St. Charles County Emergency Chiefs Association, it was decided
that REHAB-95 be transformed into an independent county level agency. ‘St. Charles County FIRE REHAB’ was
established and put into service. We have ~30 passionate and experienced responding volunteers employed;
over half have been serving for over five years. Our LLC board of directors consist of our President Mark Runge,
retired Battalion Chief; Secretary John Saunders, Responding Team Leader; and Treasurer Eleanor Philips,
Responding Team Leader.
