Taxes paid by insurance companies will put $316,357 into helping pay insurance premiums for firefighters in Douglas County.

The taxes are paid by companies on premiums written for fire and lightning coverage in the state – a total that reached more than $463 million last year. That produced nearly $8.9 million to be shared by 582 firefighter relief associations statewide, including 10 in Douglas County.

The local associations distribute money to help pay premiums for health, disability and life insurance coverage for firefighters serving the cities of Baldwin City, Eudora and Lawrence and the townships of Clinton, Eudora, Kanwaka, Lecompton, Palmyra, Wakarusa and Willow Springs.