North Providence Firefighters

2012 St. Patrick's Day T-Shirt order page is up.

2012-02-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.americanfiregear.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1870

Please note you can select the Local 2334 option when ordering shirts. Also there will be no shipping charges if you choose authorized FD rep and they will be brought to the Station.

Pension Rally

2011-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

http://rhodeislandretirementsecurity.org/

More testimony from RISAFF

2011-11-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

RISAFF Pension Testimony

2011-10-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Pension Legislation Link

2011-10-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

http://www2.turnto10.com/mgmedia/file/390/state-pension-legislation/

Bring back Engine 3!

2011-08-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

2011 Golf Flyer

2011-05-02T09:01:00.001-07:00

Four people injured. Closed station delays response to house fire.

2011-04-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Great Video on The ED Show about Firefighter's pensions

2011-02-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2011-02-07T13:32:00.001-08:00

IAFF Ad in USA Today

2011-02-06T10:22:00.001-08:00

Fire at Twins Pizza

2011-01-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Fire breaks out in local pizza parlor: wpri.com

Winter Storm on January 12, 2011

2011-01-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

Engine 4

Squad 1

Rescue 2

Photos: Dan Torregrossa

Woonasquatucket Avenue house fire

2011-01-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Photo: Dan Torresgrossa

Firefighters Go Pink

2010-10-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Local 2334 members wear pink as part of a nationwide Breast Cancer Awareness tour. For more information visit http://www.iaff.org/Comm/SpotLight/Pink/default.asp

Providence Canteen Fundraiser

2010-08-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Special Signal Fire Association is hosting a fundraiser raffle to help support their operations. Tickets are $10 and there will be 20 $100 winners picked on December 15, 2010. See your station for tickets or contact the canteen at:

380 Jefferson Blvd
Warwick, RI

Paul O'Rourke 401-641-8200
Bob Paulin 401-241-9417

Closed fire house hurts response.

2010-06-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

During a lightning storm North Providence firefighters respond to two simultaneous incidents. The first call came in for a reported house fire on Fruit Hill Avenue. While responding, crews had to be diverted to Salem Drive for a report of a man struck by lightning. Salem drive is in the district of the closed Douglas Avenue fire station. Crews were then short handed at the fire on Fruit Hill Avenue and had to wait for out out of town companies to assist with the extinguishment of the fire.

Local 2334's picket gets an international spotlight!

2010-06-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

This article is featured on the IAFF's webpage in the "local scene".

Link to story on IAFF.org

North Providence Fire Fighters Fight to Reopen Fire Station

June 2, 2010 – North Providence, RI Local 2334 fire fighters have been working to reopen their second-busiest fire station ever since the City’s mayor closed its doors in December 2009. Their latest efforts included an informational picket outside a political fundraiser for the mayor.

“That fire station closure has really hindered our ability to keep citizens safe,” says Local 2334 President John Silva. “With more than 400 of our brother and sister fire fighters from around the state, we marched outside the fundraiser carrying picket signs. With such large numbers, we sent a strong message to the mayor: we will not stand for anything that puts public safety at risk.”

When Charles Lombardi was elected to office in 2007, the City had a balanced budget. Since then, the budget deficit has escalated to $10 million. The administration blames the economy and reduced state aid.

Mayor Lombardi decided to put some of the budget woes squarely on the shoulders of the North Providence Local 2334 fire fighters. When the mayor went into contract negotiations with Local 2334, he pushed to severely reduce minimum staffing.

“We have a minimum staffing clause in our contract,” says Local 2334 Executive Board Member Derek Charello. “We were not willing to give that up, but we did offer many other budget reduction options. However, the City administration did not take any of those options seriously.”

Instead, Mayor Lombardi shut down North Providence’s second-busiest fire stations. No fire fighters were laid off, but dispersed to other stations. Meanwhile, Local 2334 has worked to reopen the fire station, including taking legal action and, most recently, conducting the informational picket.

North Providence fire fighters report that they have already experienced longer response times and fire ground operations delays. So far, no fatalities have resulted from the station closure.

From the Valley Breeze 5/26/10

2010-05-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

NP firefighter costs, overtime are result of mayor's actions

I am a fire fighter as well as a taxpayer, and would like the opportunity to refute some of the points made by Arlene Violet in her article "Good mayor, bad mayor."

The first involves the following quote about the closing of a fire house.

"The mayor (North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi) won a court case which rebutted the firefighter union's contention that the closing of one of the stations was a safety hazard. That didn't deter them from carrying signs about this 'dangerous public safety' issue. Never let the truth get in the way of propaganda".

With that in mind, let's dissect this issue with the scalpel of truth.

Fact #1 - The mayor simply closed a station and put a truck out of service - there were no personnel savings, as fire fighters from that truck were moved to other trucks in the city.

Fact #2 - The mayor cannot sell this building due to the manner in which it originally obtained. It will always have to be a town building.

Fact #3 - Because of the previous two facts, the only real cost savings to the taxpayers are the fuel costs for the truck - which will be passed along to the other trucks in the city with their increased call volumes - and the utility costs for the building.

Fact #4 - The residents of the neighborhood will now have to wait an additional time - no matter how little time - for a first-due arriving fire engine. I don't think that anyone would disagree that in the case of a fire - sooner is better.

Fact #5 - Because, in part, of the previous fact, the town's ISO rating will most certainly go down, causing an increase in homeowner's insurance, which I can only guess, will offset the cost savings for fact #3.

What all the above boils down to is: with nearly zero cost savings for the taxpayers, they will have to wait more time for a fire truck. But, the truth of the matter here is that a judge, who of course, we all know are experts on public safety, ruled that there would be no safety hazard. Propaganda is defined as "information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc." With this in mind, the question that begs to be asked is: Who is spreading the real propaganda?

The next and possibly most disconcerting statement was that of fire fighters appearing as "money grubbers." As Mayor Lombardi pointed out, the 23 top earners have earned $2.1 million collectively. However, the key to understanding that fact lies in the word "earners." What is conveniently left out is that the reason for such high earnings was the amount of hours those "Earners" worked in one work week. Yes, they were in fact, in the form of overtime hours, but those members indisputably worked those hours. When most residents and taxpayers ended their 40-hour work weeks and went home to their families, had barbecues, weddings, birthday parties, and other family gatherings, those "earners" were at work "earning" their paychecks on nights, weekends, Thanksgivings, Christmases, New Year's, Memorial Day's, etc; in extreme weather conditions at all hours of the day and night. Is this by choice? - Absolutely, but the point is that they still earned that money. The other omitted fact is that the mayor has created almost all of this overtime cost by not hiring the correct (contractual) amount of personnel (that was deemed safe for all involved). So just so I understand: He doesn't hire the necessary amount of people; he then pays other people more money to fill in, but then blames the people who worked those hours for making that money? Sounds a bit like propaganda to me. How much, by the way, does Mr. Lombardi contribute toward his health insurance?

I am also curious as to how much of his retirement benefits from being a fire fighter that (Mayor Joseph) Polisena will be giving up to help out the taxpayers in Johnston. I mean, good leaders lead by example - isn't that what we've always been told? Does he really have their backs, or only as much as it suits him?

Incidentally, I'm still trying to figure out Ms. Violet's use of the word "Carpetbaggers," as it applied to the peaceful picket line set up last month by North Providence Fire Fighters. Since all definitions of the word carpetbagger infer some opportunistic profit or gain by outsiders, its use in this case doesn't apply, unless she, herself is trying to spread some type of propaganda.

Next, it would seem that the catch phrase most popular with politicians nowadays; as echoed by Ms. Violet, is that of "having the taxpayers' backs." What is troubling about this statement is that taxpayers often believe this statement absolutely, entirely, and blindly when it comes to municipal employees.

Earlier this month interestingly brought the arrest of almost half of the North Providence Town Council, on federal extortion and bribery charges. This came only days after two of whom, Ms. Violet gave "kudos" to and said "had guts" to attend Mr. Lombardi's fund-raiser. Tell me Ms. Violet; to what extent did those guys have our backs?

As for Ms. Violet's reference to the word hero, let me say this. The only people I wish to be a hero to are my wife and children. Not because I am a fire fighter, but because in doing so, I provide a roof over their heads, food on the table, medical care, modest family vacations, and for their education. I put in an honest week's work, and feel I deserve an honest week's pay. I'm not sure what about that makes me a money grubber, but I digress.

William Conroy

Conroy is a captain in the Pawtucket Fire Department and is vice president, Local 4421 I.A.F.F.

Motorcycle Accident on RT.146

2010-05-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Statewide Hazmat Drill

2010-05-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

Cease Fire - Rhode Island Monthly - May 2010 - Rhode Island

2010-05-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Cease Fire - Rhode Island Monthly - May 2010 - Rhode Island

Picket Photos by Ken LaBelle... Great Job Ken!

2010-04-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

Picket of Mayor's fundraiser

2010-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

North Providence Firefighters along with hundreds of other firefighters and supporters across the state stood together to picket the fundraiser of Mayor Lombardi. The picket is in response to the Mayor's irresponsible actions and blatant disregard for public and firefighter safety. Local 2334 would like to thank everyone who came out in strong support.

Urban Avenue: Rollover with entrapment.

2010-04-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Engine 4, Squad 1, Ladder 1, Rescue 2 and Battalion 1 responded to Urban Avenue for a reported rollover with a person trapped inside the vehicle. Firefighters extricated the victim, provided advanced life support and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital.

Photo by: Brian Hardy PCFN (C19)