PROVIDENCE – The Pawtucket Fire Department and the Kingston Fire District were awarded $2.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response federal grant, U.S. Sens. Jack F. Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline announced Thursday.
The bulk of the money will go to the Pawtucket Fire Department, which will use the $2.4 million allotted to the department to fund the hiring of 13 firefighter positions.
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“The city of Pawtucket is fortunate to have a hardworking federal delegation in Senators Reed and Whitehouse along with Congressmen Cicilline and Langevin. Their support is critical as we improve our public safety and work to meet the health needs of our residents,” Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien said in a news release. “The SAFER grant funding will allow Pawtucket to reinvest in our firefighters. As technology changes and fire-suppression systems improve, a community still needs to invest in its overall workforce. This grant will help us as we make this transition.”
Kingston’s Fire District received $168,100 from the grant and will use the money to grant tuition-assistance reimbursement in order to enhance recruitment and enhance retention efforts of volunteer firefighters.
“This is great news for both the city of Pawtucket and the Kingston Fire District. These federal funds will boost staffing levels, enhance public safety and help these fire departments better protect the communities they serve. I was proud to work with Mayor Grebien and Chief William Sisson to support Pawtucket’s staffing needs. I was also pleased to support Chief Nathan Barrington’s efforts to recruit and retain firefighters in Kingston,” Reed said in the statement.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
