Georgia-Pacific’s Bucket Brigade Program: Over $3 Million in Support to Local Fire Departments
Georgia-Pacific, a company with a history of supporting local fire departments and first responders, operates three major facilities in Polk County, Texas, employing around 1,000 people. The company recently made a generous donation of $100,000 to the Corrigan Volunteer Fire Department, a team of nearly 25 active volunteers who responded to over 150 emergency calls in 2022.
The department has initiated a capital campaign to construct a new fire station, estimated to cost $400,000. A local family has kindly donated the land for this new facility. The construction will be carried out in phases. The initial phase will see the construction of the facility’s shell to enable immediate operation of trucks. The subsequent phases will involve the completion of living quarters, kitchen, parking lot, and a second story.
The new facility will not only serve as a fire station but also as a community hub, with plans to allow local schools and community organizations to use it for various events and fundraisers.
In the U.S., particularly in small and rural areas, volunteer fire departments like Corrigan’s are quite common. In fact, volunteers make up 65% of all firefighters in the country. Out of 29,452 fire departments nationwide, 18,873 are staffed entirely by volunteers. These departments handle a wide range of emergencies beyond fires, including medical incidents, vehicle accidents, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, water rescues, and other public service calls.
While these volunteer departments provide significant savings for local governments, they face challenges such as recruitment and training of volunteers and securing funds for equipment and facilities maintenance.
“Fire poses one of the biggest threats in the community and to any wood products business,” said Lester Knight, Georgia-Pacific’s Corrigan plywood plant manager.
“It has been dry, and we do face wildfires in this area. When it comes to supporting this community, I cannot think of a better opportunity to give back than to support the Corrigan Volunteer Fire Department. These volunteers leave their families, wake up in the middle of the night, and put their safety at risk to protect us. The new facility will help them in these efforts.”
In 2006, Georgia-Pacific initiated the Bucket Brigade program, a project aimed at providing support to local fire departments. Since its inception, the program has granted over $3 million to first responders.
Click here to learn more about GP’s work.
The department has initiated a capital campaign to construct a new fire station, estimated to cost $400,000. A local family has kindly donated the land for this new facility. The construction will be carried out in phases. The initial phase will see the construction of the facility’s shell to enable immediate operation of trucks. The subsequent phases will involve the completion of living quarters, kitchen, parking lot, and a second story.
The new facility will not only serve as a fire station but also as a community hub, with plans to allow local schools and community organizations to use it for various events and fundraisers.
In the U.S., particularly in small and rural areas, volunteer fire departments like Corrigan’s are quite common. In fact, volunteers make up 65% of all firefighters in the country. Out of 29,452 fire departments nationwide, 18,873 are staffed entirely by volunteers. These departments handle a wide range of emergencies beyond fires, including medical incidents, vehicle accidents, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, water rescues, and other public service calls.
While these volunteer departments provide significant savings for local governments, they face challenges such as recruitment and training of volunteers and securing funds for equipment and facilities maintenance.
“Fire poses one of the biggest threats in the community and to any wood products business,” said Lester Knight, Georgia-Pacific’s Corrigan plywood plant manager.
“It has been dry, and we do face wildfires in this area. When it comes to supporting this community, I cannot think of a better opportunity to give back than to support the Corrigan Volunteer Fire Department. These volunteers leave their families, wake up in the middle of the night, and put their safety at risk to protect us. The new facility will help them in these efforts.”
In 2006, Georgia-Pacific initiated the Bucket Brigade program, a project aimed at providing support to local fire departments. Since its inception, the program has granted over $3 million to first responders.
Click here to learn more about GP’s work.
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