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Providence Fire Department - Total Confusion About Who’s in Charge

Monday, December 07, 2015

Kate Nagle, GoLocal News Editor

Members of the City Council are questioning who's in charge of the Providence Fire Department, following confusion of staffing reductions on Saturday night — including conflicting reports as to whether or not certain stations were originally going to be closed altogether.

The battle between Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Providence firefighters union went to an even higher level of conflict as staffing was reduced at a number of fire stations Saturday night, with firefighters claiming that the city was originally closing two stations. The city refutes the union's claims — and says they will prosecute firefighters who are found to have willingly avoided orders for callback

“I think there are concerns about how it was communicated — or not communicated — and concerns about what we do moving forward,” said Providence City Council President Luis Aponte. “I was concerned to find out that [recently hired] consultant George Farrell is on vacation. My concerns are what exactly is the chain of command, where are decisions being made, how are they being made."

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The City had announced in November that previous Chief Scott Mello was being demoted, that former Chief George Farrell was brought on to serve as a consultant, and Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare would oversee the department. However, no Chief, or Interim Chief, is in place, which Providence Firefighter Local 799 Union President Paul Doughty has criticized.

Latest Battle

The city and the firefighters union have been in conflict since Elorza announced in May that he was moving to reorganize the Providence Fire Department from four platoons to three with a condensed shift schedule, in order to achieve what he said was $5 million in projected savings in the next fiscal year.

Since then, firefighter overtime costs — and a protracted legal battle — have heightened tensions between the two sides. On Saturday, firefighter union members began tweeting that the city was closing stations, which the city said had never been the case, but instead took two ladders and two trucks out of service in response to being nine firefighters down, out of the required 94.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has said he will be looking into callback from the weekend.

Elorza spokesperson Evan England said Saturday that the city would take action against any firefighters found to be coordinating a work stoppage illegally. On Sunday, England said that the city was short-staffed for the morning shift at 91, but truck levels were back at normal. By Sunday evening, the city was back at full-staffing.

Doughty said the current staffing levels present a “clear and present danger” to the city, however.

“I’ve talked to number of members, and there is a clear and present danger to public safety,” said Doughty, who noted that this past weekend “added to the dysfunction” currently facing the department. “The fire department works in minutes and having adequate resources. I think at 94 we’re well below national average. It’s Russian roulette with public safety.”

Doughty said that he took affront with the city’s assessment that the staffing situation on Saturday should be attributed to the firefighters.

“They lead you to believe that it’s what we’re doing,” said Doughty, who noted that firefighters can't work more than the maximum hours outlined in their contract. “We’re made to adhere to the 38 hour rule. On Saturday, five people were out sick, and three’s the average. It's the city that's planned so poorly. They can say what they want, but they went to close stations [Saturday night], and then they changed their mind.”

Looking Ahead

The longest serving member of the City Council expressed his concern on how decisions were made -- and communicated -- on Saturday.

“I guess our big question is who's in charge,” said Majority Leader Kevin Jackson, who has represented Ward 3 in Mt. Hope for twenty years. "That's our question. Who's making these decisions?"

“We weren't told prior. We only found out when people started calling us, that's what's disturbing to me,” said Jackson of Saturday's staffing changes. “The [Council] has to be kept in the loop. We've got to respond to the concerns of our constituents, and we hadn’t heard anything.”

England said that the Mayor is working with Public Safety Commissioner Pare. “But not every intricate decision comes from the Mayor’s office,” he qualified.

Aponte said that he thought that once things “cooled down,” that there needs to be a discussion about how events such was what transpired Saturday are handled moving forward.

“I think some of this is isolated, but some may reoccurring,” said Aponte on Sunday. “But we need to understand the hierarchy and how these issues will be communicated.”

Related Slideshow: Providence Firefighter Tweets

Paul Doughty responds to a post by Elorza on another subject, to steer the fight back to the firefighters.

A photo meme that was orginated by firefighters in social media, before being used on signs during a recent firefighter rally at City Hall.

The fighfighters take to Twitter to convey their positions on a number of issues.

Local 799's Derek Silva tweets a cartoon "fantasty" Tweet with Elorza.

Elorza's post recognizing fire chief Cunha's service gets minimal interaction.

On May 21, when Elorza announced the platoon shift, he tweeted instead about a volunteer event he attended -- and not of the firefighter decision.

Other press coverage of Elorza is often commented on by Doughty on Twitter.

Doughty uses Twitter to show the contrast of a prior Elorza statement, versus his current position.

A pro-union tweet garners significant Twitter interaction.

Doughty takes to social media to tell firefighter supporters than any threats against the Mayor would not be tolerated.

Doughty often comments on other actions by Mayor Elorza in an effort to bolster the firefighters' position.

Doughty takes immediate social action after the Mayor weighs on about the recent court decision.

Media coverage on the fight is often retweeted by Doughty -- something which Elorza does not do with firefighters.

A pro-union post retweeted by Doughty; the firefighters often engage other unions' support.

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