G-P Awards $207,000 in Fire Department Grants

The Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., USA, Bucket Brigade grant program is designed to support local fire departments and these brave volunteers who keep us safe every day. This year, Georgia-Pacific (G-P) proudly awarded $207,000 in Bucket Brigade grants to 45 fire departments for equipment critical to firefighters’ safety.

This year, Bucket Brigade grants range from $1,000 to $8,000 and span 22 states. Grants are based on need and are funded by the G-P Foundation and our local facilities. Fire departments often use these funds to purchase new protective clothing and replace items such as damaged safety gear and aging equipment.

Heather Schafer, NVFC’s CEO, said "The G-P Bucket Brigade Program provides funds directly to departments in need. The NVFC is pleased to partner with G-P to maintain the health and safety of the fire service and the citizens they serve. The applications for 2015 have now been reviewed and G-P is now writing checks to qualifying departments who could significantly benefit from the new investments.

According to the St. Augustine Record, (St. Augustine, Fla.), the grants are now being received as of late this past month. The December 1 article reported that the Palatka, Fla. Fire Department has now received $8,000 to help fund equipment needs such as forcible entry tools, nozzles, and hand tools for wildland firefighting that helps protect possibly managed forests essential to the pulp and paper industry as well as for maintaining natural forest sustainability. Growing trees, whether in managed forests or naturally growing, absorb a great amount of carbon and can thus mitigate the possible effects of global climate change.

"These improvements will help us in meeting our goal of providing the best service to the community in an emergency," said Jason Matchett, support services manager with Francis Volunteer Fire Department, commenting to the St. Augustine Record. "The G-P Bucket Brigade has also provided our department with a lot of fire safety materials to place into schools and day cares."

Photo: Members of the Francis Volunteer Fire Department showing the check they received from G-P's program.

According to a report this past week by The Northwestern, (Oshkosh, Wis.) The Van Dyne Volunteer Fire Department in Wisconsin is also among a total of the 45 grant recipients of this year's G-P’s Bucket Brigade program. The department will receive $4,000 to help fund equipment needs.

"We have a strong relationship with our local fire departments, so we are very pleased to help them stay well-equipped," said Frank Fernandez, director of operations at G-P's corrugated facility in Oshkosh. "These grants show our gratitude for their selfless dedication."

The department says the grant will go toward the purchase of full-body protective gear to replace aging gear that no longer meets standards set by the National Fire Protection Association. Each set costs about $2,000.