Prov. gets grant for fire station generators

Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline announced on Friday that the Providence Fire Department has been awarded a $560,000 grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security. City officials said the federal appropriation will be used to purchase and install much needed emergency power generators for the city’s fire stations.


The Firefighters Assistance Grant comes from the FY 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which U. S. Senator Jack Reed supported. The program was established to enhance the readiness of the nation’s first responders to protect the health and safety of the public.

“I want to thank Senator Jack Reed for advocating on behalf of Providence to ensure that our first responders have the tools they need to protect our residents in the event of an emergency or catastrophic disaster,” said Cicilline.

Fire Chief David D. Costa said the federal funds will be used to purchase diesel generators with weather-proof enclosures for each of the city’s 13 fire stations and the automotive maintenance facility. He said the generators will be equipped to operate at 100 percent capacity during extended power outages caused by natural or manmade disasters. In addition, the generators will enable the Fire Department to provide continuous repair to fire apparatus 24 hours a day, should disaster strike.

“Ultimately, this grant will improve the Fire Department’s readiness to protect citizens, visitors, and the workforce from all hazards with no unnecessary delays in service or response times,” said Costa