Prov Fire Officials' Report Paints Disturbing Picture of Elorza Administration

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Friday, June 10, 2016

GoLocalProv News Team

A 46-page report released on Thursday by Providence fire battalion chiefs outlines a disturbing and dangerous situation in the Providence Fire Department.

Specifically, the report outlines the lack of staffing in the management structure, lack of resources and improper deployment of staffing, following the Eton Street and Laurel Hill Ave fires on March 31 that injured 26 firefighters.

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“On 31 March 2016, the Providence Fire Department simultaneously experienced two multiple alarm wind driven fires that tested the department’s command and control, communications, strategy and tactics, training, operations for large scale events, and mutual aid response and capabilities,” said the report.

The dual fires began with firefighters addressing a general alarm fire during which a second three-alarm fire occurred nearly simultaneously.

The report was written by Battalion Chief Kenneth Rainone, Acting Battalion Chief Stephen Capricotta and Acting Battalion Chief Kevin Jutras.

The report found:

The review of the events of the Eaton Street fire, highlight the Providence Fire Department’s inability to fill ICS Command Staff, General Staff and intermediate command level positions with chief officers who have Fire Ground Command experience.

When objectively reviewing the events surrounding the injuries at the Eaton Street fire, discussion of the unfilled Department Safety Officer position cannot be overlooked. As mentioned above, this position has been left unfilled since 2010. Since 2012, four Department

investigations and reports have been done because of fire events involving maydays, firefighter near miss events, and fires resulting in serious injuries to firefighters. Each of these previous reports has recommended the re-activation of the Department Safety Officer and Battalion 2 Chief Officer positions.

The decimation of the Chief Officer positions, by past and present administrations, along with the unfilled existing chief officer positions has created a situation that prevents the Providence Fire Department from following command control procedures outlined in the

Department’s Rules and Regulations, Incident Command System, and various Standard Operating Procedures. As stated previously lack of following standard operating guidelines was identified by research as a contributing factor to firefighter injuries.

The injuries sustained highlight the importance of chief officers ensuring standard operating procedures and safe operating practices are followed. These same chief officers need to ensure that during emergency operations that the mechanisms for accountability, tracking, and the rehabbing of members, are in place and being adhered to.