WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen
Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced a total of $309,125 in two
Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) investments for the towns of Bristol and
Newport that will help their fire departments expand and enhance their
emergency response capabilities in Narragansett Bay. Administered by the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), PSPG grants are designed to help protect critical port infrastructure,
enhance maritime safety improve port-wide maritime security risk management,
and maintain or reestablish maritime security mitigation protocols that support
port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
The Bristol Fire Department will receive
$284,625 to purchase a new firefighting/CBRNE (chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear, and explosives) emergency response and recovery vessel
in order to increase port safety and security in the upper and eastern areas of
Narragansett Bay. The department is the local emergency response agency
with the responsibility of prevention, response, and recovery from maritime
emergencies, including CBRNE events, which occur adjacent to and on the waters
of the approaches to the Port of Providence, Narragansett Bay, the Taunton
River, and Fall River, Massachusetts. The new vessel will allow the
department to provide emergency response in the Mount Hope Bay area and the
Sakonnet River. It will complement a police vessel that was acquired
under a federal grant and deployed earlier this summer.
The Newport Fire Department will receive
$24,500 for equipment, supplies, and training for Marine 6, the new catamaran fire
boat the department acquired last April with the help of an earlier port
security grant.
“This is a smart investment in boosting marine
emergency response capabilities, protecting our coastal communities, and
helping emergency personnel save lives and property. This new vessel will
be both a local and regional asset and the new equipment and training will help
firefighters respond to a variety of marine incidents,” said Senator Reed,
a member of the Appropriations Committee. “I’m pleased these federal
dollars are coming to Rhode Island to ensure local emergency personnel have the
training and equipment they need.”
“Rhode Island fire departments’ life-saving
work doesn’t stop at our shoreline. They need the right vessels and
equipment to do their job wherever an emergency strikes,” said Senator
Whitehouse. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in the delegation to
fight for this important funding for Rhode Island first responders.”
“A well protected Narragansett Bay improves
the safety and security of the ports and maritime traffic that Rhode Island
communities rely on,” said Congressman Langevin, a senior member of the
Committee on Homeland Security, which oversees the Port Security Grant
Program. “Congratulations to the Bristol and Newport Fire Departments for
securing this important funding.”
“This critical funding will enhance safety and
preparedness for communities along Narragansett Bay,” said Congresman
Cicilline. “I’m proud have advocated directly to FEMA to help secure
funding for the Bristol Fire Department to purchase a new emergency response
vehicle. I will continue to work hard to be sure Rhode Island gets its fair
share of federal resources.”
Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation helped
include $100 million for Port Security grants in the
2018 Omnibus Appropriations law.
“The Bristol Fire Department is excited and
thankful for this Port Security grant award,” said Chief Michael A. DeMello
of the Bristol Fire Department. “Funding provided through this grant
will provide marine fire & rescue capabilities not previously available in
the East Bay, as well as an additional asset for all of Rhode Island and
southeastern New England. Many thanks to Town Administrator Contente,
Senator Reed, and our entire federal delegation whose support and tireless
efforts made this grant award possible.”
“The Port Security Grant will help us complete
the outfitting of our new Fire Rescue Boat,” said Chief Brian Dugan of the
Newport Fire Department. “The grant will not only provide Medical
Supplies and firefighting equipment, but will also supply our operators with
foul weather gear and other safety equipment. In addition, the department
will be able to purchase specialty equipment and supplies, such as oil boom and
tackle, in order to address potential oil spills in the harbor and bay. I
wish to thank Captain Donald Gunning for developing the grant proposal, and
thank Senator Reed and his staff for all their support in securing the grant.”
Since 2014, fire departments and other
entities in Rhode Island have received nearly $1.75 million in PSGP grants.