WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Oakland-Mapleville Fire Department will receive $928,571 to acquire a new pumper vehicle as part of an effort by the state’s federal delegation to ensure Rhode Island firefighters have the equipment and training they need to safely and effectively protect and serve their communities.
The funding, announced this week by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, is part of a $3,277,138 initiative awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
In Burrillville, the funding will replace a 47-year-old engine that is considered outdated and obsolete, and is no longer in compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards. The department has merged with the Nasonville Fire Department, and is now know as the East Burrillville Fire District.
AFG grants were also awarded to the Warwick and Pawtucket fire departments, as well as the Rhode Island Fire Academy. The federal grants are designed to enhance local fire departments’ abilities to comply with response, equipment, and operational standards established by the NFPA.
“This federal funding will help ensure firefighters in Burrillville, Warwick, Pawtucket, and at the Rhode Island Fire Academy are equipped with tools to improve emergency response and keep Rhode Islanders safe,” said Magaziner.
“Every time they answer a call to respond to an emergency, they put their lives on the line to keep our neighbors safe,” said Reed. “I’m proud to help deliver this federal funding for Warwick, Pawtucket, Burrillville, and the Rhode Island Fire Academy to ensure our firefighters have the training and tools they need to safely serve their communities.”
Over the last two years, Rhode Island fire departments and other first responders across the state have been awarded more than $30 million in federal funding through FEMA’s AFG and Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant funding. Congress appropriated $648 million for the AFG and SAFER programs in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations law.
