Canteen truck, volunteers have new home at Warwick business

by John Howell | May 21, 2009 |

The Special Signal Fire Association has a home and a truck
once again and that has Paul O’Rourke happy.

The association is best known for the red canteen truck that is
a familiar sight at fires and disasters throughout the region.
Association members have been serving up hot meals,
refreshing drinks and coffee to first responders and disaster
victims for more than 40 years now.

But that service, which is totally staffed by volunteers and
made possible by contributions, threatened to come to a
close earlier this year when the Salvation Army withdrew as
its major sponsor.

Suddenly the association was without a truck and
headquarters for its operations.

The future looked bleak for the association, but more
significantly for the firefighters and police who could count on
the canteen to provide a respite from the stress of a fire or disaster.

Yesterday not only was O’Rourke, a Providence policeman and president of the association, reporting that canteen operations will
continue, but that the group will be even better equipped to help people in the future.

O’Rourke was joined by Mark Ryan outside Able Restoration Inc. at 380 Jefferson Boulevard. Able Restoration that was on the scene of
about 2,500 fires and flooding situations last year has provided a truck for the association as well as warehouse space that will serve as
an office and sleeping area as members on-call wait to respond to the site of a fire.

“They inspired us. We see their dedication and a lot of people rely on them. It seemed impossible just to let them go away,” Ryan said.
Ryan, who has used canteen services, said the company plans to move canteen operations to its Providence location in about five
months. Also, the company has a second truck, one that will have a full kitchen, air conditioning and even a toilet – often the most difficult
amenity to find at a disaster scene – for first responders. The truck should be in service by August.

The association has about 65 members of whom 30 are active, manning operations 24 hours a day. The canteen has a budget of
$32,000 with which it buys food, repairs its equipment and purchases food and materials not otherwise donated to the organization.

In a statement issued by Able Restoration, Jeff Sabel, vice president, said “we often see them on the scene of disasters so we fully
appreciate what they do for the emergency workers and victims. Their generosity goes well beyond the call of duty and we just wanted to
help support them however we could.”

The association’s newest canteen truck has a new look. It is white, not red. Inside there are coolers filled with ice, bottled water and
Gatorade. There is a rack with giant cans of chili and beef stew and, as expected, there’s a coffee maker.

The new unit has been in service only days and responded to three fires on Sunday. O’Rourke said the Special Signal Fire Association
canteen make more than 500 runs last year to disaster sites here and in nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut. It was the only
association of its kind that was permitted to respond to 9/11, he said.

Looking ahead with the help of Able Restoration, O’Rourke is confident the association will be capable to maintain its humanitarian role
of comforting first responders and disaster victims in times of crisis.

More information and the ability to make online donations to the association are available on the Able Restoration Web site:
www.able911.com.