New WFD Emergency Center $530K Up for House Approval

WARWICK, RI — U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) reports a second round of federal community project funding, including a new $530K WFD Emergency Center, will be up for a vote March 22.

The funding is included in six government funding bills the U.S. House will vote on March 22, according to Magaziner’s office. The first part of the funding bill was approved this week and is expected to be quickly OK’d by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The $530,000 funding will pay to move the EOC from its current location to the WFD’s newest station in Potowomut, Station 10, at 225 Potowomut Road. Potowomut station was built for $2.8 million in 2015 by Ahlborg Construction Corp. on the site of the former Potowomut School.

According to the City of Warwick’s website the EOC’s current location is 111 Veterans Memorial Drive, the Warwick Fire Department Headquarters, also the office of the city’s Emergency Management Agency. Key members of the City’s departments gather at the office during activations to determine situational status, coordinate actions and make critical decisions during emergency situations.

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), at 645 New London Tpk., Cranston, RI, will administer the grant to the city.