Town Renames EOC In Memory of Battalion Chief Bill Hall

At the start of Monday's Town Council meeting, President Gary Cote presented Tracy Hall, wife of the late Central Coventry Fire Battalion Chief William J. Hall, with a proclamation memorializing Chief Hall's work and accomplishments in the Town of Coventry. In his memory, Town officials have renamed the Coventry Emergency Operations Center, The William J. Hall Emergency Operations Center.

The Center, located within the Annex across from Town Hall, serves as the command post for any large-scale emergency events within the Town, such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, etc. Apart from the many hours he spent at the EOC as a member of the Town's Emergency Management Committee, Chief Hall also instructed two graduating classes of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer members, who still meet for monthly trainings at the location.

Battalion Chief Hall passed away on following a courageous battle with occupational cancer.

Below is the proclamation presented by the Town: 

Battalion Chief William J. Hall

Bill served his life for the common good of the citizens of Coventry and as a firefighter and public servant who put his life on the line on a daily basis to protect and serve the public.

Between November 2000 and November 2004, Bill served as Councilman in the Town's 4th District. During his tenure he was the force behind bringing public sewers to the Town of Coventry. His hard work and perseverance led to AMGEN granting $6 million to the Town for the expansion of sewers into Coventry. This grant was instrumental in providing a sewer system along Hopkins Hill Road, Tiogue Avenue, Sandy Bottom Road and Route 117. This sewer system was instrumental in attracting businesses to Town and bringing millions of tax dollars to the community.

During his term in office, he was a bastion of support for the environment. He was responsible for insuring that the speed limits of watercraft on Tiogue Lake were reduced and enforced and was instrumental in acquiring the spillway adjacent to Tiogue Lake in order to regulate flow age of water into the Pawtuxet River and inhibit flooding during major storm events.

Councilman Hall was the keynote sponsor of legislation which made homeownership a reality to the residents of Ramblewood Estates and Mapleroot Village through low interest loans which have been satisfied.

Following his tenure of leadership on the Town Council, Bill remained active in Town government. Without recompense, he served on the Town's Emergency Management Committee, served as Chairman of the Town's Sewer Subcommittee, commanded the local CERT team and was an instructor at the Rhode Island Fire Academy.

As a firefighter, he quickly rose through the ranks due to his courage and perseverance. His achievements were not without recognition. He was awarded the "Heroism Award" for heroic actions in the Station Nightclub Fire, volunteered and assisted firefighters in the immediate and long-term needs for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and assisted in the rescue efforts following Hurricane Rita.

Bill's fortitude and courage, even through times of illness, is an inspiration to all of us. He dreamed things that never were and asked "why not?". Then he oversaw those dreams and made them a reality. May we all aspire to Bill's motto; "No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great -- duty first."

NOW THEREFORE IT BE KNOWN THAT THE TOWN OF COVENTRY, hereby proclaims that the Town of Coventry's Emergency Operations Center is hereby declared The William J. Hall Emergency Operations Center.