Providence Canteen Answers Call at Cambridge Fire

PROVIDENCE, RI —The Providence Canteen, which provides food and support to first responders at disaster scenes, stayed until 6 this morning near the scene of yesterday's massive Cambridge, Mass., Fire.

According to Paul O'Rourke, the Special Signal Fire Association's president, the Providence Canteen has a mutual aid agreement with the Boston Sparks, their counterparts in the Hub. The Sparks called for help around 3:30 p.m., and the mobile truck with a crew of two arrived sometime between 4 and 4:30 p.m.

"They special requested us," he said.

Four other volunteers followed the truck and arrived later.

O'Rourke said they were kept a few blocks away from the blaze and initially couldn't see anything. But as the night wore on, they could see the church still burning.

The Providence Canteen served 350 sandwiches Saturday night, brewed 25 pots of coffee and whipped up some calzones, too.

The next morning, they produced "about 50 sausage and egg sandwiches" plus more pots of coffee.

The truck is equipped with a mobile kitchen and can serve 1,500, he said.

They left Cambridge around 6 this morning when the Cambridge Fire Chief dismissed them, he said.

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