Daily Briefing: What the Block Island fire taught public safety officials

“I hope it never happens again, but everyone knows their place now and where to go.” ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Thu Aug 22 2024 Lynne Sullivan | Regional Executive Editor [@LSullivan73]( black thumb. Truly. I love to LOOK at a pretty garden, but I'm not great at MAKING a pretty garden. For 20 years, I've had a dead spot toward the left front of my house. It's the spot that gets the least sun each day. And for 20 years, I've struggled to find the right plant to put there. I want one that will grow and thrive and make that blah spot look ... well, pretty. For about three years in a row, I tried planting a hibiscus there. I love hibiscus. I do not love how high-maintenance they are. Honestly, there is zero percent chance I'm ever going to remember to bring a plant INSIDE during the winter. I've tried many other things for that corner. A pot filled with annuals – nope, they turned to sticks. An azalea – again, turned to sticks. Lilies – meh, they are kind of sickly looking and only look nice for a couple weeks. Instead of really thinking about my situation, I just kept throwing new plants into the ground. I happened to mention it to a neighbor one day (thankfully, SHE has a green thumb). She explained several things to me about the soil, about sunlight, about the placement of my downspout, etc. She suggested that I plant a hosta there − don't you know, that thing is huge this year. It looks great! Finally, after years of repeating my mistakes − and worse, wasting precious time and money − that little corner of my yard looks pretty. It's a funny thing, learning from your mistakes. It should be obvious, right? Too often it's not. Reporters Katie Mulvaney and Antonia Noori Farzan recently [revisited last year's fire on Block Island]( that destroyed the Harborside Inn, to see where things stand one year later. Thankfully, public safety officials on the island took what they learned that night and are making plans for the future – plans that include mutual aid, like they received that fateful night, but also plans for them to be more independent, should weather conditions prevent fire boats from coming in time. They are stockpiling equipment, like a new ladder truck that arrived in July. They are asking Block Island voters to support the purchase of a $900,000 mobile pump that will be able to draw saltwater or freshwater at 4,000 gallons a minute, plus enough hose to stretch from Old Harbor, where the ferries land, to the Spring House Hotel about a half mile away. And they are hoping to raise $10 million through grants and private interests to build a new public safety complex. By all accounts, officials on Block Island learned some valuable lessons from the terrible fire. “We learned what the system can do and for how long without affecting the distribution system,” said John Breunig, superintendent of the Block Island Water Company. “I hope it never happens again, but everyone knows their place now and where to go.” Losing the hotel was a blow to the island, but even tragedies offer chances to learn and grow. More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 🦑 Calamari stole the show during RI's 2020 virtual roll call vote that nominated then candidate [Joe Biden](. [A reappearance from chef John Bordieri did not occur on Tuesday]( in fact, the Associated Press reported in June that the so-called "[calamari ninja]( was a supporter of then President and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. 🏃🏽‍♀️ [NASA astronaut from Massachusetts]( who's currently in space didn't let distance and a slight change in gravity stop her from running in a Cape Cod race this weekend. [Suni Williams]( a Needham native, ran the Falmouth Road Race Sunday on a treadmill while aboard the International Space Station. 👶 Chloe Stanko of Peabody, Massachusetts, went into labor during Noah Kahan's Fenway Park concert in July, giving birth early the next day. [She named the baby Noah.]( RHODY RANKS Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails. Ever wonder how fast EMS response times are in Rhode Island? Turns out personal injury lawyers at[Omega Law Group]( collected data for accidents resulting in at least one death across every state in the U.S. from 2018 to 2022. They found Rhode Island has the quickest average EMS response time: 6.21 minutes. (Massachusetts, with an average response time of 6.34 minutes, came in second.) The worst was California with a whopping 17.85 minutes average response time. What does this mean for RI residents? “Long EMS response times pose significant risks for accident victims. Delayed medical care can aggravate injuries and reduce survival rates, potentially leading to severe damages and complex legal issues. These figures highlight the need for improved emergency response infrastructure, resources, and innovative solutions in these states,” personal injury lawyers at [Omega Law Group]( concluded. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( ☀️ Beautiful with partial sunshine, high of 75. Check out the full forecast [here](. TOP STORIES [How the 6-10 contaminated soil case is complicating the Washington Bridge]( [Driving onto the Washington Bridge westbound in August 2024.]( Had they been allowed to bid, Barletta said they could have torn down the Washington Bridge for the original cost estimate. [READ MORE]( [Patriot State Storage Eric Nadelman co-owner asks the Providence City Plan Commission to support the expansion of self-storage facilities at existing sites a meeting on Aug. 20, 2024.]( [Why business owners want Providence to rethink ban on new self-storage]( The owner of a self-storage company asks Providence to rethink its ban on new self-storage so he can expand his business to keep up with rising costs. [READ MORE]( [An instructor works with a young student at Pods Swimming in East Providence.]( [Free lessons offered to help underprivileged kids learn to swim]( The Rhode Island DEM estimates that 500 youths from low-income households will get free swimming lessons after the agency distributed funding. [READ MORE]( [Ellie Bishop, North Kingstown girls soccer]( [10 players to watch this girls soccer season]( A handful of teams have new homes in 2024, including the defending champions in Division II, Division III and Division IV. [READ MORE]( [The refurbished Wayfinder Hotel in Newport is preparing to fully reopen, two years after sustaining significant fire damage.]( ['You get knocked down, you get up': Wayfinder hotel rises from the ashes]( The newly renovated Wayfinder will have a front seat to any development that takes place thanks to the Pell Bridge ramp realignment. [READ MORE]( Vote with Confidence This 7-day newsletter course will help you be an informed voter before Nov. 5. [SIGN UP NOW]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. The universal eNewspaper, the digital version of our print paper, plus bonus monthly magazines and hundreds of local papers. Original reporting of our hometown teams, from high school sports to the pros. [Unlock news for $1]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Newsletters]( | [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( Follow Us Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo](