Fayette

County picked up almost $500,000 in federal

grants for public safety last week.

Firefighters

sleeping at the foot of Dickson Lake Dam will get

a new station and county residents will get the

beginnings of a network of severe weather warning

sirens as a result.

The

Georgia Emergency Management Agency has announced

a $398,194 grant from the Federal Emergency

Management Agency to relocate fire station one,

with the county providing the remainder of the

$530,925 project.

GEMA

announced the grant during Jack Krakeel Day

ceremonies. The celebration last Wednesday

honored Fayette's director of fire and emergency

services, recently named national Fire Chief of

the Year (see related story).

GEMA

also announced a grant of $82,479 to help install

a warning siren, pole and associated hardware on

Rivers Road at Cedar Lane.

Local

officials have been working for two years to get

funding to replace fire station one on Ga.

Highway 314. Plans are to replace four county

stations in the near future, but station one is a

priority and qualified for the hazard mitigation

grant because of its proximity to the dam.

U.

S. Rep. Mac Collins, who represents Fayette and

several other counties, worked to help secure

federal funds for the grant, said Krakeel.

"Mac's assistance on this project was

absolutely instrumental in Fayette Country

receiving this grant," he said.

meeting in Collins' office last December

"was the pivotal point, in my opinion, that

enabled us to adequately explain our position to

the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and have

them gain a better understanding of what we

wanted to achieve with our proposal. There is no

doubt in my mind without his assistance we would

not be where we are today," Krakeel added.

FEMA

officials had turned down the grant twice before

Collins got involved, officials said.

The

new building, to be built at the intersection of

Ga. highways 314 and 279, will house two

firefighters as well as the fire engines and

equipment used by the firefighting and rescue

teams based at the building.

The

old building will be removed, and the area made a

permanent green space, as part of the grant

requirements.

Funding

for the warning siren is the beginning of a

project that will take several years. Officials

hope to eventually have 40 sirens to warn

residents of approaching tornadoes or other

severe weather.

"We

are pleased to partner up with Fayette County

under your commitment and your leadership,"

GEMA director Gary McConnell told Krakeel and

Fayette's county commissioners as he announced

the grants last week.

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