{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://amo.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-mayor-smiley-announce-13-million-for-new-ambulance-fire-truck", "RI Delegation, Mayor Smiley Announce $1.3 Million for New Ambulance & Fire Truck", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Gabe Amo", "A000380", "amo.house.gov", "amo", "https://amo.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Federal grant will help Providence add new ambulance & fire engine to its fleet of emergency rescue vehicles\n\nPROVIDENCE, RI \u2013 In a continued effort to modernize aging parts of Providence\u2019s emergency response vehicle fleet, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined Mayor Brett P. Smiley in announcing $1.3 million in federal funds for the Providence Fire Department.\n\nThe federal funds are being awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. These federal grants are designed to enhance local fire departments\u2019 abilities to comply with response, equipment, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and ensure firefighters have up-to-date, safe, reliable vehicles and equipment to keep people safe.\n\nThe City of Providence will receive a $1.3 million AFG grant to assist with the purchase of a heavy-duty Type-1 Advanced Life Support ambulance (also known as a as Mobile Intensive Care Unit) and a new NFPA compliant pumper truck.\n\nUsing a combination of both federal grants and City funding, Providence has significantly upgraded its fire and rescue fleet, replacing 23 out of the 27 fire and rescue vehicles with more efficient models by 2027 and allowing the Providence Fire Department to retire the last units from the 1990s.\n\n\u201cMayor Smiley has made public safety a priority. I am pleased to support those efforts and help deliver this $1.3 million boost for two new vehicles,\u201d said Senator Reed. \u201cThis grant is a cost-effective investment and a real win-win for Providence. Not only will these new vehicles enhance public safety, they will also help the city save on maintenance and repairs.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are always working to ensure Rhode Island\u2019s first responders are well equipped with the tools and resources they need to handle any emergency, at any time,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cWell done to Mayor Smiley and Chief Silva on securing funding for a new ambulance and fire engine for the Providence Fire Department\u2019s emergency fleet.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen you call 911, Rhode Island\u2019s firefighters and first responders should have the tools they need to respond quickly,\u201d said Rep. Seth Magaziner. \u201cThis federal funding will modernize Providence\u2019s emergency vehicle fleet to improve emergency response and keep Rhode Islanders safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur local fire departments deserve to be well-staffed, well-equipped, and well-trained,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Amo. \u201cWhether it\u2019s to hire new firefighters or to procure emergency vehicles, I\u2019m committed to working with my colleagues to secure federal resources for first responders in our state.\u201d\n\n\u201cElevating public safety in every neighborhood has remained my number one priority since day one. This critical funding will further support our ongoing priority to modernize the Fire Department to better protect our community,\u201d said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. \u201cUnder the leadership of Chief Silva, our Fire Department has implemented innovative programs to support our most vulnerable neighbors and the funding from this federal grant will ensure our firefighters have the training, equipment and resources they need to continue that important work. I want to thank Senator Reed and our entire federal delegation for their continued leadership and advocacy for public safety improvements across Rhode Island and in Providence.\u201d\n\nThis year, with the support of the congressional delegation, Rhode Island\u2019s fire departments have received a record-breaking amount of federal funding through FEMA\u2019s AFG and Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funding with a total of nearly $30 million for firefighters and first responders across the state. Additionally, earlier this month, Providence received its largest SAFER grant on record to assist with the hiring of 44 new firefighters.\n\nCongress appropriated $648 million for the AFG and SAFER programs in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations law.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://amo.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-mayor-smiley-announce-13-million-for-new-ambulance-fire-truck"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6500279996544123, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}