R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-17.2: Civil defense plates.

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles may issue to the civil defense preparedness director of each city and town, for as long as such person remains a civil defense preparedness director, a special identifying number plate in place of any regular number plate assigned to each director at the time of the registration of a motor vehicle. The number shall be in numerical sequence preceded by the words “civil defense” or some similar appropriate designation, and the numbers shall be issued to the directors in alphabetical order according to the names of their respective city or town.