Missing Call Log Data May Jeopardize Federal Grants to RI Fire Districts
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
WatchdogRI.org, the non-profit organization dedicated to data intensive public policy research projects, released a statement Tuesday saying that they had discovered that nearly half of the fire departments in Rhode Island are not providing the State Fire Marshal with a monthly accounting of call log data.
The lack of reporting the data might result in these departments becoming ineligible for federal grant money, which the U.S. Fire Administration provides to local fire departments.
Missing Data
The discovery of the lapses in call log data were discovered by WatchdogRI.org when the State Fire Marshal was contacted by the group and call log data from every fire department was requested to be reviewed.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Fire Marshal's office told WatchdogRI.org that it did not have call logs for 30 out of 66 operating fire departments in the state.
SEE THE LISTING OF DEPARTMENTS WITH MISSING CALL LOG DATA BELOW.
"It's critically important that fire departments maintain and report on accurate, up-to-date call log data so that there is a public record of their handling of emergencies and the scope of responses they are providing," says WatchdogRI.org founder and Chairman Ken Block.
"Where fire trucks are going, how many personnel are being dispatched, and what scenarios they are responding to, are all key elements for assessing how operations are being managed, and so it's very troubling to see monthly call logs missing from nearly half of the departments."
"What we have found with the missing call logs is just more evidence of what we believe is the wider problem," continues Block. "A lack of coordination between fire departments in Rhode Island can lead to waste when there is duplication of equipment in a small area. Analysis of the call log data is critical in helping to determine where resources are needed - and where we have too much. It is our sincerest hope that taxpayers who are served by these non-compliant fire departments are not paying for acquisitions that could be paid for with federal grant dollars."
Here is the list of fire departments that did not provide the State Fire Marshal with a monthly accounting of call log data:
ALBION FIRE DEPT
ASHAWAY FIRE DEPT
CENTRAL COVENTRY FIRE DIST
CENTRAL FALLS FIRE DEPT
CHARLESTOWN/RICHMOND FIRE DEPT
CHEPACHET VOL FIRE DEPT
COVENTRY
DUNNS CORNER FIRE DEPT
HOPE JACKSON FIRE DEPT
JAMESTOWN FIRE DEPT
JOHNSTON FIRE DEPT
KINGSTON FIRE DIST - URI
LAKE MISHNOCK VOL FIRE DEPT
LITTLE COMPTON FIRE DEPT
MANVILLE FIRE DIST
MIDDLETOWN FIRE DEPT
MOOSUP VALLEY FIRE DEPT
NASONVILLE FIRE DEPT
NORTH KINGSTOWN FIRE DEPT
NORTH SMITHFIELD FIRE & RESCUE
PASCOAG FIRE DEPT
PAWTUCKET FIRE DEPT
QUINNVILLE FIRE DEPT
TIVERTON FIRE DEPT
UNION FIRE DIST
WARREN FIRE DEPT
WATCH HILL FIRE DIST
WEST WARWICK FIRE DEPT
WESTERN COVENTRY FIRE DEPT
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