October 20, 2011
Child rescued from house fire. Crews contain wildfire. Driver pulled from crash. We see these news headlines all the time. And the common theme behind each is a band of heroes who put their lives on the line to protect their community – fire and rescue teams. At a moment's notice, they must be prepared to walk into dangerous situations, often using outdated equipment or without the specialized gear they need. Many are unpaid volunteers.
Georgia-Pacific rewards this dedication to serve through the Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade™, a national program that contributes to fire departments in communities with Georgia-Pacific facilities. These grants are used to purchase much-needed equipment that helps protect the lives and property of residents as well as their firefighters.
"We are grateful for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our local communities safe," said Jim Hannan, chief executive officer and president of Georgia-Pacific. "The Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade program allows us to show our appreciation for their service and helps ensure that they are equipped with the critical resources they need to do their jobs."
Launched in 2006, the initiative has contributed nearly $800,000 to rural and small town fire units across the United States. The program supports firefighters with cash donations to purchase necessary equipment, and provides safety education materials for presentations in local schools.
The program is meeting critical needs during a time when increased demand for volunteer firefighters is putting additional strains on available resources. Volunteers comprise 71 percent of all firefighters in the United States, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council and the National Fire Protection Association.
From the nearly 150 units that applied for the grants, the following final recipients were chosen:
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Department
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Location
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Grant Amount
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Cromwell-Halsell Volunteer Fire Department
Monroeville Fire Department
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Lisman, Ala.
Monroeville, Ala.
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$10,000
$10,000
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Crossett Fire Department
Wilmot Fire and Rescue
Gurdon Fire Department
Fordyce Fire Department
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Crossett, Ark.
Wilmot, Ark.
Gurdon, Ark.
Fordyce, Ark.
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$10,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
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Hollister Fire Department
Palatka Fire Department
Hosford-Telogia Volunteer Fire Department
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Hollister, Fla.
Palatka, Fla.
Hosford, Fla.
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$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
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Guyton Fire Department
Meriweather County Volunteer Fire Department
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Guyton, Ga.
Warm Springs, Ga.
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$10,000
$5,000
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East Dubuque Fire Department
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East Dubuque, Ill.
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$5,000
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Waterville Fire Department
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Waterville, Kan.
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$5,000
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Monticello Fire Department
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Monticello, Miss.
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$10,000
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Au Sable Forks Fire Department
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Au Sable, N.Y.
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$5,000
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Ceffo Volunteer Fire Department
Roxboro Fire Department
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Roxboro, N.C.
Roxboro, N.C.
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$2,000
$3,000
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Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department
Wind Gap Fire Company
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Bradford, Pa.
Wind Gap, Pa.
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$5,000
$5,000
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Indian Springs Volunteer Fire Department
Onalaska Volunteer Fire Department
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Livingston, Texas
Onalaska, Texas
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$2,500
$2,500
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Camas Fire Department
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Camas, Wash.
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$10,000
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Casco Fire Department
Navarino-Lessor Fire Department
GreenValley-Morgan Fire Company Inc.
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Casco, Wis.
Bonduel, Wis.
Onconto Falls, Wis.
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$10,000
$5,000
$5,000
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Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper, cellulose and related chemicals. The company employs 40,000 people at 300 locations in North America, South America and Europe. Georgia-Pacific is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc., a privately-owned company headquartered in Wichita, Kan. Both companies have a strong tradition of focused community investment in communities where they have operations.Georgia-Pacific and other Koch companies have contributed more than $140 million for charitable causes during the past five years.