FireGrantsHelp.com Assists Atkinson (IL) Fire Department in Winning $1.3 Million Grant for Fire Station Construction

SAN FRANCISCO - FireGrantsHelp.com, the leading online grant information and direct assistance resource for the fire service, announced it has helped the Atkinson, IL Fire Department secure a $1.3 million grant for the construction of a new fire station.

The grant was awarded as part of the Fire Station Construction Grant program, administered by Department of Homeland Security. The Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) provide financial assistance directly to fire departments on a competitive basis to build new or modify existing fire stations, helping departments to enhance their response capabilities and protect the community they serve from fire and fire-related hazards.

The 56-year-old Atkinson fire station was experiencing extreme structural damage, including a leaking roof and visible cracks in the concrete structure. These and other critical issues - including a lack of exhaust system, no floor drain/trap system to direct and catch leaking fluids and no commercial fire alarm system or adequate fire suppression/sprinkler system - posed significant health, safety and wellbeing concerns for their firefighters. 

Atkinson identified a need for outside grant assistance shortly before the application became available for the Station Construction Grant in June 2009. Seeking help with preparation of their grant application, a department representative submitted an online direct assistance request at FireGrantsHelp.com.

FireGrantsHelp determined Atkinson was a strong candidate for funding based on the SCG guidance, and worked closely with the department to collect all relevant data for the grant application. Through a collaborative partnership and sharing of information, FireGrantsHelp was able to guide Atkinson through the full application process while simultaneously preparing a successful narrative for submission.

“The staff at FireGrantsHelp was able to work with us and get our information organized for the grant application,” said Dan DeSmith, Atkinson Fire Protection District Trustee. “They prompted us to think of additional information necessary to include in the grant. We appreciate all the help they provided and I am not sure we would have been successful without them.”

“We were very excited to hear that Atkinson was funded through the SCG grant,” said Sarah Wilson, Grants Manager for FireGrantsHelp.com. “With their new station they will be able to do their job safely and even improve the great level of service they already provide their community by being able to house 24-hour volunteer staff.  We are proud to support volunteer fire departments like Atkinson and assist them in securing the funding they need.”

In addition to comprehensive grant news and information, FireGrantsHelp offers fire and EMS departments a range of grant services, including customized grant research, writing and reviews to ensure that the department’s grant submissions are optimized for success.

In 2009 alone, FireGrantsHelp has helped over 2,000 departments locate funding for various grant projects, totaling more than $3.5 million in funding.

For more information on FireGrantsHelp.com, visit www.firegrantshelp.com.

About FireGrantsHelp.com
FireGrantsHelp.com's mission is to provide firefighters and departments with a comprehensive resource for grant information and assistance. FireGrantsHelp features the most extensive fire grant database ever created, with a library of information not only for federal grant programs, but also state, local and corporate grant opportunities.

FireGrantsHelp features a grant database that allows users to spend less time searching for grants and more time on research and grant writing. FireGrantsHelp.com also offers users a multitude of grant assistance tools such as: research guidance, grant writing and review, grant resources, tools, news, and much more.

About The Praetorian Group
The Praetorian Group is the leading online media and technology company in the public safety market. Our properties are visited by more than a million first responders and public safety professionals every month. Praetorian owns and operates www.PoliceOne.com, www.FireRescue1.com, www.EMS1.com, www.CorrectionsOne.com and www.Homeland1.com. We are deeply committed to providing resources and cutting edge information that help first responders stay safer, become better informed and more effectively protect their communities.

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