Narragansett Fire Department Boat Comes with a Tribute

NARRAGANSETT, R.I., (WJAR) — Narragansett Fire Department unveils a new emergency response vessel.

It's named after a teen who drowned there back in 2015.

With a grant from the Appropriations Committee, Senator Jack Reed was able to secure nearly $400,000 to purchase the 31-foot emergency response vessel, and to train Narragansett First Responders to use it. With help from the Coast Guard, part of what's now a national Marine Task Force model to deal with any emergency.

It isn't just any fireboat, but a Port Security boat, because it can not only detect or contend with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats, but can also put out fires, as well as search and rescue, or recovery.

The boat is named "Maia Stanton", after a 14-year-old girl from the Berkshires who tragically drowned in a snorkeling accident in rough waters off Newton Rock in July 2015. Rescuers got the call too late to save her.

Narragansett Fire Chief Scott Partington recalls that day: “It's something that affected us all.”

It's not to say that this new vessel would have made a difference in that rescue attempt, he says, “But it's really a remembrance of why we're here. It's for the preservation of life.”

With grief, there's really no such thing as closure. There's only coping. One of the ways that the family decided to cope was to take a ride.

Maia's mom, nana, and brother are grateful for the honor to have the sleek, powerful, emergency response vehicle named after their daughter, granddaughter, and sister.

Maia may be physically gone, but her spirit lives on, skimming the waters, poised and ready to help others that may encounter their own trouble on the water.

Source: NBC10

NFD To Receive Ladder Truck This Friday

NARRAGANSETT - In July of 2015, the Narragansett Fire Department received $769,582 in federal funds for the purchase of a new ladder truck and firefighting equipment. On Feb. 10, the fire department will receive the new truck, which will replace the department’s existing 31-year-old ladder truck currently housed at Headquarters/Station 1.

The federal funds were secured by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Jim Langevin. The trio also toured Narragansett’s facility at the time.

“When the alarm sounds and our firefighters answer the call, it’s our duty to ensure the equipment they rely on to save lives is up to date and adheres to the latest safety standards,” said Reed in a statement at the time. “These federal grants will allow the Narragansett Fire Department to acquire a new, state of the art ladder truck and replace other critical equipment. We must continue to make these investments in our first responders and the safety of our communities. I commend Chief Partington and his team for their hard work to win these competitive grants.”

The funds were distributed as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, with $690,477 going toward the purchase of the new ladder truck. In addition, the department also received $79,105 through the AFG program for replacement of all hoses on the department’s engines, the purchase of new nozzles and the replacement of three master stream devices.

Narragansett Fire Department Chief Scott Partington thanked his team and said the new ladder truck would be a benefit to the community for a long time.

“I am very grateful for all the work that went into this project by our firefighters,” he said. “They dedicated many hours beginning with the original AFG submissions, research, design and specifications. The community should be very proud of their efforts. The Town of Narragansett now has a new fully-funded ladder truck intended to provide protection to our community for many years to come.”

The new truck, a custom-built 2016 Rosenbauer 109’ Viper Aerial, will be a standard vehicle on the department’s 1st alarm assignment to all fire-related incidents in town. According to a press release, the new truck “performs critical fire ground tasks and remains a recognized piece of fire apparatus by the National Fire Protection Agency and the Insurance Services office when evaluating and rating a community’s fire protection capabilities.”

The new truck arrives to NFD on Feb. 10.   

Source: RICentral