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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: December 19, 2006
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM, CITY OF PROVIDENCE, ANNOUNCE PORT PROTECTION INITIATIVE
State Buys Large Supply of Foam for City Firefighters' Emergency Use

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management and the City of Providence announce that, in a port protection initiative, 2,500 gallons of fire-fighting foam, purchased by DEM, was delivered this morning to the Allens Avenue fire station in Providence. That amount of foam will produce 250,000 gallons of finish foam, more than enough to extinguish a fire in a tank at the Port of Providence, according to fire officials.

"This proactive, industry-paid, preventative measure provides an added degree of protection to the Port of Providence and other Rhode Island locations as needed, and we are pleased to have been able to provide it," said DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan.

"Ensuring that our first responders have the proper tools to respond to a full scale emergency is one of the great challenges facing America's cities and towns," said Mayor David N. Cicilline. "This large supply of foam will help our Fire Department fortify its efforts to protect our residents in the event of an emergency disaster."

State and city officials began discussing early this year the need for the Port of Providence to have on hand a sufficient supply of foam in the event of a catastrophic fire or a natural or man-made disaster resulting in the failure of a large storage tank. The foam, which will be available via fire-fighting mutual aid compacts to other communities facing similar circumstances, can be used for both fire suppression and vapor control. The gasoline explosions and fire at the Motiva terminal pier in July galvanized the need, usefulness, and appropriateness of the project.

The foam, contained in 500 five-gallon pails, was purchased for $82,497 from the Williams Fire and Hazard Control Company of Texas, a company known for its oil fire suppression work around the world. Funding is from the state's Oil Spill Prevention, Administration, and Response Fund administered by DEM, a five cent per barrel fee on oil received at marine terminals, created after the 1996 North Cape spill of more than 800,000 gallons of heating oil into Rhode Island Sound.

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