Dept. of Homeland Security grant to pay for Dutton Fire Station expansion and improvements

GAINES TOWNSHIP., Mich. – Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers announced today that Dutton Fire Department in Gaines Township, MI, will receive $866,561 of federal grant money from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

      “This funding is great news for Dutton Fire Department,” said Congressman Ehlers. “It will contribute to significant improvements at the fire station that will improve safety and response times. These improvements would have been impossible without the help of this grant, and I am pleased that it was awarded to Dutton Fire Department.”

                Gaines Charter Township Supervisor Don R. Hilton, Sr., says the grant will offset the cost of a $1.1 million plan to expand the 34-year-old fire station by 5,000 square feet, reconstruct the administrative wing, add quarters for full-time firefighters, and implement sustainable and environmentally friendly building technologies. “I believe the Dutton business district will benefit greatly from this project,” Hilton said.  “The Dutton Fire Department’s new station will encourage more investment throughout the Dutton community.”

      The grant, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is part of the Fire Station Construction Grant Program at DHS. It is part of $166 million in fire construction grants being awarded nationwide.