{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/ri-delegation-delivers-nearly-4-5-million-for-local-firefighters/", "RI Delegation Delivers Nearly $4.5 Million for Local Firefighters", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "RI", "Sheldon Whitehouse", "W000802", "www.whitehouse.senate.gov", "whitehouse", "https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 In an effort to advance fire safety, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today welcomed $4,538,706 in federal grants for local firefighters to strengthen safety and training, upgrade equipment, and purchase new emergency response vehicles for the Rhode Island Fire Training Academy and fire departments in Coventry, Lincoln, West Warwick, Newport, Woonsocket, and on Prudence Island.\n\nFederal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) grants are designed to help local fire departments upgrade and modernize their equipment, improve training, and enhance their abilities to comply with response, equipment, and operational standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This program has injected tens of millions of dollars in federal assistance into local fire department across Rhode Island over the last decade, enhancing their response and staffing capabilities to provide fire protection, emergency medical services, search and rescue, hazardous materials incident response, and wildfire response.\n\nLocal departments in the following communities will receive federal AFG funds to enhance the safety of firefighters and improve emergency response:\n\nPROVIDENCE: $1,849,284 to purchase firefighter breathing apparatus and firefighter training\n\nWOONSOCKET: $1,000,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art aerial ladder truck that will replace the department\u2019s obsolete apparatus that has become difficult and costly to repair\n\nCOVENTRY: $499,177 to acquire a new ambulance that will replace the Central Coventry Fire District\u2019s current vehicle with over 250,000 miles on record\n\nWEST WARWICK: $339,932 to upgrade the department\u2019s current, outdated hose and nozzle on its frontline engine and to purchase two new cardiac monitors\n\nPRUDENCE ISLAND: $255,015 to modernize the Volunteer Fire Department\u2019s portable radio fleet with 34 new devices\n\nLINCOLN: $99,840 for Lime Rock Fire Department to acquire new cardiac monitor/defibrillators and $57,191 for Quinnville Fire District to replace outdated equipment with four new portable radios and a state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera\n\nNEWPORT: $68,181 to acquire three new Lucas Mechanical CPR-assisted devices\n\nAdditionally, the Rhode Island Fire Training Academy will receive $370,086 to modernize and improve its capabilities and enhance the safety of trainees with the purchase of a new fire truck simulator, three new forcible entry doors, fifteen new self-contained breathing apparatuses, and forty reflective helmet covers.\n\n\u201cOur firefighters take tremendous risks to serve our communities and we\u2019ve got to have their backs and ensure they have the best equipment, vehicles, and training to safely and effectively do their job. This federal funding will improve firefighter safety and enhance their emergency response capabilities,\u201d said Senator Reed. \u201cThese new grants will improve the health and safety of our firefighters and our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cRhode Island\u2019s bravest risk their lives on the front lines to protect our communities,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cI\u2019m glad to help deliver this federal funding to ensure that the Rhode Island Fire Training Academy and local fire departments have the updated resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.\u201d\n\n\u201cRhode Island firefighters show up for us on our worst days. They deserve the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,\u201d said Congressman Magaziner. \u201cI am proud to join my colleagues in the Rhode Island congressional delegation to deliver federal funding to help us stay safe and support the firefighters who run toward danger when we need them most.\u201d\n\n\u201cRhode Island firefighters put themselves in harm\u2019s way to protect our communities, and they need the right equipment and training to do their jobs safely,\u201d said Congressman Amo. \u201cI am proud to work with my federal colleagues to help deliver these investments, which will help fire departments across our state upgrade critical equipment and vehicles and strengthen their ability to respond when Rhode Islanders need them most.\u201d\n\nRhode Island\u2019s federal delegation helped secure a total of $648 million in FY2025 funding to make this round of competitive fire grant awards available to communities nationwide through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, and Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) grant program.\n\nOver the last three years, Rhode Island fire departments and other first responders across the state have been awarded over $43 million in federal funding through FEMA\u2019s AFG, SAFER, and FP&S grant funding.\n\nSenator Reed leads an annual fire grant workshop that helps local fire departments with the competitive grant application process. Both AFG and SAFER awards are based on need, scope, community impact, and overall application merit.", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "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://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/ri-delegation-delivers-nearly-4-5-million-for-local-firefighters/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0359142906963825, "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"}