Designed by members of the East Providence Fire Department, and built by MetalCraft Marine of Kingston, Canada, the Arthur H. Ring is a 34-foot, all-weather fire/rescue boat that is capable of handling emergencies involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) devices or events. Powered by twin Cummins 6-cylinder, 4.2 L, 320 HP diesel engines and jet driven, she was obtained through a Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Port Security Grant as well as funding from the city of East Providence. The City also received gracious donations from the Capital Terminal Company and the ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, both of East Providence. She was delivered to the East Providence Fire Department on July 30, 2008.
The Arthur H. Ring is proudly named after Firefighter Arthur H. Ring of the East Providence Fire Department, who died as a result of injuries sustained during the Hurricane of 1938. Her design was provided to the Urban Area Security Initiative committee. The committee employed it in securing funding for three additional watercraft provided at no cost to the Fire Departments of Cranston, Warwick and Providence. The Arthur H. Ring has the designation of Marine 3 within the Port of Providence Marine Strike Team.
The Arthur H. Ring is capable of delivering 2600 gpm of water through an onboard fire pump through two radio-controlled and one mannually-controlled master stream devices. She is also capable of supplying water to land-based fire apparatus should the need arise, as it did on April 23, 2009 at a four-alarm fire in the town of Portsmouth, RI. She is capable of delivering foam streams in the event of combustible and flammable liquid fires within her reach. Onboard computers, radios, sonar and infrared cameras allow her to function in all types of weather 24 hours a day.
Since the arrival of the Arthur H. Ring, the East Providence Fire Department has assisted the communities of Hyannis, MA and Rockford, IL in acquiring similar watercraft. Many other departments throughout the country have sought the design features and assistance in drafting grant applications.