***WATCH FOOTAGE OF THE NEW AIR SUPPLY UNIT***

LINCOLN, RI – Fire departments across northern Rhode Island have teamed up to acquire a new regional air/light unit that will help ensure firefighters can safely and effectively respond to a wide range of emergencies throughout their communities.

After delivering a $586,363 federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) award, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today joined state and local officials, Limerock Fire Chief Tim Walsh, and members of the Greater Woonsocket Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Association to officially launch the new vehicle.

“This new state-of-the-art vehicle will make it easier for our firefighters to safely and effectively respond to emergencies throughout our communities,” said Senator Reed.  “I am proud to help deliver critical resources and support for our firefighters.  They go above and beyond each day to serve and protect our neighborhoods, and they should have the best gear and technology available to stay safe in the line of duty.”

“I’m very glad to join Senator Reed and our firefighters to officially launch this new state-of-the-art support vehicle,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “The residents of northern Rhode Island stand to benefit from our federal investment in this truck, which will better allow firefighters do their jobs safely and effectively.”

“As a Woonsocket firefighter, I know firsthand how important it is for public safety personnel to have the proper equipment. Our lives, and the lives of the community members we’re responding to, are on the line,” said State Rep. Stephen M. Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), chair of the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing. “I was honored to be a sponsor of the legislative grant that helped support the purchase of this unit, and I thank my colleagues for backing it. I’m also very appreciative of Sen. Jack Reed and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who understand that to keep the public safe, we need to keep our first responders safe. Today is just one more example of how they consistently deliver for Rhode Island.”

“This unique piece of equipment is set to immediately start serving 13 communities across northern Rhode Island. With this new, advanced vehicle, we will boost the capabilities of the Greater Woonsocket Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Association and better serve people across our region,” said Limerock Fire Chief Tim Walsh. “This achievement would not have been possible without the steadfast support of U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and State Representative Stephen Casey.”

The new state-of-the-art support unit replaces a shared vehicle that has over 300,000 miles and more than four decades of service providing regional assistance during emergencies. The Rhode Island congressional delegation delivered the federal AFG award for Limerock Fire Department and its neighboring partners in September 2022. In addition to the federal AFG award, the new air/light unit was also supported by a $50,000 legislative grant from the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

An air/light unit is a critical piece of firefighting equipment that provides support and boosts safety by ensuring firefighters have the tools and equipment they need at the ready to respond to dangerous emergencies. The unit is used to refill Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air cylinders and provide portable enhanced lighting on scene.

The Rhode Island fire departments and districts who will utilize this new unit are members of the Greater Woonsocket Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Association, including: Central Falls, Chepachet, Cumberland, East Burrillville, Harmony, Harrisville, Lincoln, Manville, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield, and Woonsocket. Collectively, these departments are staffed by nearly 500 firefighters and serve more than 460,000 Rhode Islanders.

Thanks to the Rhode Island congressional delegation, Ocean State fire departments received a record-breaking amount of federal funding last year through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant funding, with a total of nearly $30 million for firefighters and first responders across the state.