Eight Firefighters Out in Pawtucket After City Investigation

Eight Firefighters Out in Pawtucket After City Investigation

GoLocal was the first to report on an investigation into employees of the Pawtucket Fire Department.

Now, some of the details are emerging.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The City of Pawtucket issued the following statement on Tuesday afternoon regarding the outcome of an internal investigation into the actions of eight Pawtucket firefighters.

"The City of Pawtucket Human Resources Department, in coordination with the Pawtucket Fire Department and the Pawtucket Police Department, has concluded an internal investigation into 8 Pawtucket firefighters for violations of the Rules and Regulations of the Pawtucket Fire Department. That investigation has determined that these firefighters engaged in possible criminal activity, resulting in violations of the public trust. As a result, four firefighters have been terminated by the City effective today, and four have chosen to resign and/or apply for retirement in lieu of taking part in the pre-termination hearing process."

The city will not respond to why an outside agency did not conduct the investigation.

"We are unable to comment further at this time due to an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted in coordination with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office," said the City.

The City's statement continued, "While these matters are serious and remain under investigation, it is important to emphasize that the actions of these firefighters do not reflect the dedication, integrity, or professionalism of the Fire Department as a whole. Finally, we want to reassure our residents that thanks to the standards and procedures the Pawtucket Fire Department has in place, at no time was public safety at risk. The Fire Department is committed to providing a high level of care while maintaining full fire and emergency response services to our community."