Nearly 40 Providence Firefighters Have Been Injured Since Beginning of April

Nearly 40 Providence Firefighters Have Been Injured Since Beginning of April

A fire Saturday night at at a triple decker in Providence that injured seven firefighters has brought the total number of injured firefighters to over 35 so far in April.  

Why are so many firefighters getting injured?

“I think the recent number of injuries is the result of a cascading effect with the shift change,” said IAFF Local 799 President Paul Doughty, of the city's contested move last year to go from four shifts to three. “It forces them to work more, and after firefighters get injured, the remaining folks to work more hours.  So this has been going on well over seven months now -- folks are beat.”

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According to Doughty, seven firefighters were injured at a triple-decker fire off Charles Street on Saturday, with two needing follow-up treatment for burns.  

They add to the Providence firefighter injured on Thursday at a fire on Angell Street, and the four-and-five alarm fires on the same day on Laurel Hill Avenue and Eaton Street that saw 28 firefighters needing treatment.  The most seriously injured, Captain Joseph Fontaine, is now recovering at home after being in a coma briefly due to cyanide exposure.

“This is what happens when the dominoes fall in the chain,” said Doughty.  “There can be external factors -- wind, dead hydrants — which weren’t in these last fires — but Saturday they had to deal with wires in front of the house, which made it difficult to ventilate it. Our firefighters are getting the s—t kicked out of them, and it’s catching up.” 

Mayor Jorge Elorza’s office did not respond to request for comment on the injured firefighters on Sunday. 

Taking Issues with Numbers

Doughty said that he took issue with the recently released “Ten Year Plan” released by the City of Providence last week, and in particular the way that data was presented.

The report shows that when compared to other New England cities, Providence has “among the highest fire suppression FTE per capital ratio — almost 20% higher than the median - and PFD has the greatest number of engine and ladder companies per square mile, over three times the median for engines and over twice the median for ladders.”

“The recent report that compares us to other cities our size, but those trucks are staffed by four firefighters,” said Doughty. “Only a third in Providence have the proper staffing.  Two-thirds of the trucks [in Providence] are less than four.”

Doughty said the trucks staffed with three played a factor in recent fires. 

“There are certain tasks you're expected to do [at fires], and four is more efficient than 3,” said Doughty, who said he also took issue with Providence being compared to other cities for other reasons, including its building stock — and density. “We're built to burn. We’re mostly wood, and close together. If we don't play a perfect game, a whole block can go up.”

Consultant Report Expected this Week

The Providence City Council had announced in December that it hired a consultant to conduct a study on the staffing needs of the Providence Fire Department, and the report is expected to be released shortly.

“I know what the city’s gearing up to do, and that’s show that the department is overstaffed,” said Doughty. “But what it will show with the shift change that was implemented is that there are issues short-staffing the trucks and we need minimum staffing per truck."

"There’s a saying which is, as the first truck goes, so goes the fire.  And we’re seeing this play out. Folks are just beat," said Doughty. "This recent spate of injuries has gotten bigger because we’re behind the eight ball.”