{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://amo.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-secures-22-million-in-federal-funds-to-boost-staffing-at-local-fire-departments", "RI Delegation Secures $22 Million in Federal Funds to Boost Staffing at Local Fire Departments", "2024-09-06", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Gabe Amo", "A000380", "amo.house.gov", "amo", "https://amo.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Providence, East Providence net federal SAFER grant to add 56 firefighters to the ranks\n\nEAST PROVIDENCE, RI \u2013 In an effort to enhance public safety and help local fire departments recruit and retain firefighters, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined with Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley, East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, Chief Richard A. Susi (ret.) of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs (RIAFC), and local firefighters to announce $22.05 million in federal funds for fire departments in Providence and East Providence and volunteer departments throughout the state.\n\nThe federal funds are being awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant 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).\n\nThe City of Providence will receive a $16.9 million SAFER grant to hire 44 new firefighters. The $16.9 million SAFER grant surpasses the $15 million SAFER grant Providence received in 2015.\n\nThe City of East Providence will receive a $3.75 million SAFER grant to hire 12 new firefighters.\n\nThe Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs will receive a $1.4 million SAFER grant to support local volunteer fire departments across the state in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters.\n\n\u201cIncreasing 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,\u201d said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee who leads an annual firefighter federal grant workshop each year. \u201cI 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\u2019ll continue working hard to deliver resources to ensure they have the equipment, technologies, recruiting, and highly-trained personnel they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cRecruiting and training firefighters is a smart investment in public safety,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cThis 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.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen a fire or disaster strikes, Rhode Island\u2019s firefighters stand ready to risk their lives for others, and the least we can do is ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs safely,\u201d said Rep. Seth Magaziner. \u201cMore firefighters means safer communities, and this federal funding will help recruit and retain firefighters to keep up with the demands of their essential work.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo fire department should have to wonder if they can recruit and retain enough brave men and women to answer the call,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Amo. \u201cThanks 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.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur 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,\u201d said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. \u201cThis 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.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur administration is committed to providing the highest level of public safety services to our residents and visitors. We\u2019ve 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,\u201d said Mayor Bob DaSilva. \u201cThank you to our congressional leaders for their continued success in supporting our public safety professionals.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis grant will allow the RIAFC Foundation to help the over 40 volunteer fire departments in RI attract, recruit and retain new volunteer firefighters by funding personal protective equipment, physicals and tuition assistance for more than 100 new volunteer firefighters. We will also be offering training opportunities and continuing with a highly visible marketing program to seek out people who are interested in helping their community in this way,\u201d said Chief Richard A. Susi (ret.), Executive Director of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs.\n\nSAFER 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, \u2018front line\u2019 firefighters available in their communities.\n\nMembers of the delegation helped secure $324 million for the SAFER program in the fiscal year 2024 Appropriations law.\n\nLast year, the East Providence Fire Department\u2019s 111 firefighters handled over 13,700 calls and the Providence Fire Department\u2019s 370-plus firefighters handled over 47,300 calls.\n\nOver 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\u2019s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and SAFER grant funding.\n\nPrior 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.", 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-secures-22-million-in-federal-funds-to-boost-staffing-at-local-fire-departments"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7922009099274874, "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"}