EAST PROVIDENCE — East Providence was one of the municipalities around the state to receive Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo were joined recently by Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley and East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva to announce $22.05 million in federal funds for fire departments in Providence and East Providence and volunteer departments throughout Rhode Island.

The grants are "designed to enhance local fire departments’ abilities to comply with response, equipment, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)."

East Providence will receive a $3.75 million to hire 12 new firefighters while Providence will receive a $16.9 million to hire 44 new firefighters. The Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs will receive a $1.4 million to support local volunteer fire departments across the state in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters. The Town of Smithfield also received $477,677.

Over the last two years, Rhode Island fire departments and other first responders across the state have been awarded over $30 million in federal funding through FEMA AFG and Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funding. Congress appropriated $648 million for the AFG and SAFER programs in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations law. The federal grant program is designed to enhance the department’s ability to comply with response, staffing, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association.

“Increasing firefighter staffing levels helps increase public safety and expands emergency response capabilities. This is a smart investment that will support firefighter recruitment and retention and help communities add more firefighters to the ranks. I want to commend Mayor Smiley and Mayor DaSilva and their teams for putting together outstanding applications,” said Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee who leads an annual firefighter federal grant workshop each year. “I want to congratulate everyone involved for their efforts throughout this process. This is a win for our communities and for our firefighters, who put their lives on the line each day to protect and serve the public. I’ll continue working hard to deliver resources to ensure they have the equipment, technologies, recruiting, and highly-trained personnel they need.”

Added Whitehouse, “Recruiting and training firefighters is a smart investment in public safety. This federal funding will allow fire departments in Providence and East Providence, as well as volunteer fire departments throughout the state, to fill their ranks and better protect their communities.”

SAFER grants fund the salaries and benefits of the additional firefighter positions for three years. The federal grants provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, ‘front line’ firefighters available in their communities.

Members of the delegation helped secure $324 million for the SAFER program in the fiscal year 2024 Appropriations law. Over the last two years, Rhode Island fire departments and other first responders across the state have been awarded over $30 million in federal funding through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and SAFER grant funding. Prior to these awards, the Rhode Island Congressional delegation helped secure nearly $7 million in federal AFG and SAFER grants for fire departments and first responders across the state.

“No fire department should have to wonder if they can recruit and retain enough brave men and women to answer the call,” said Amo. “Thanks to the robust federal funding being awarded this year to Providence, East Providence, and Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs, our communities will have the piece of mind of knowing that a highly-trained, well-equipped first responder will be there for them should they ever need to make that call.”

Last year, the East Providence Fire Department’s 111 firefighters handled over 13,700 calls and the Providence Fire Department’s 370-plus firefighters handled over 47,300 calls.

“Our administration is committed to providing the highest level of public safety services to our residents and visitors. We’ve invested in new technology, new firefighter safety equipment and new apparatus. This grant now allows us to invest in the greatest asset that any department has – our people. The SAFER grant will enable the city to increase our fire department personnel by 12 firefighters, which will help keep our community safe,” said DaSilva. “Thank you to our congressional leaders for their continued success in supporting our public safety professionals.”

Added Smiley, “Our firefighters are vital to the safety and well-being of our city, standing on the front lines every day to protect lives and keep our neighborhoods safe. This historic funding will further support our ongoing recruitment efforts, elevating public safety in every neighborhood and improving the health and safety of our firefighters by reducing the strain of long hours. I want to thank our congressional delegation for their continuous leadership and advocacy to improve public safety in Providence and communities across Rhode Island.”

In East Providence, specifically, the latest round of SAFER grant dollars is expected to once again open the door to a long-standing request to put a fourth emergency rescue vehicle into full-time service manned out of Station 3 in Rumford.

Residents as well as elected officials from the Ward 1 section of the city representing Rumford have requested its fire station have a dedicated rescue on call 24-7, 7 and 365. Station 3 is the only one of four EPFD locations without a full-time rescue vehicle.

Past and current executive administrations and fire department chiefs have usually rebuffed the call for the fourth rescue. Most recently, DaSilva and his newly-appointed chief Mike Carey questioned the necessity of using money (an estimated $1 million annually) and man-power for the vehicle, citing the staffing requirements and data suggesting it isn't required. The administration has, however, at times put a fourth rescue out of Station 3 into service part-time.

Sitting Ward 1 City Councilor Frank Rego has argued the actual finances and quality of emergency service benefits his constituents would gain with a full-time rescue outweigh any negatives. Rego has often cited the city's data and costs associated with mutual aid, where fire departments cover for each other during shifts, would improve with the fourth rescue fully on-call.

"I’m very pleased that the state delegation recognizes the importance of funding emergency services. As we see increased development and increased need, the reasonable thing to do is implement a fourth full-time rescue. This will not only provide increased services to the residents but it will cut down on the need for mutual aid city-wide and reduce the overtime line in the fire department budget," Rego said of the SAFER grant money the city recently received.

He added, "I sponsored a resolution that the council signed unanimously requesting the mayor to implement a fourth full-time rescue. My hope is that the mayor takes the opportunity with welcoming these 12 new firefighters to our esteemed fire department to introduce increased hours of a fourth full-time rescue. The council has made the wishes of the residents clear to the administration. We have done our part and we hope the administration does theirs."