FIRST FIRE / LAST FIRE

.

First Fire / Last Fire

Any firefighter’s first real fire
Is faced with anticipation
On the one hand there’s excitement
On the other, trepidation

For this is what he trained to do
During countless hours of drills
Old-timers recount their war stories
As he imagines the thrill

Not many can imagine the genuine rush
‘til immersed in heat, smoke and fire
Physically fighting every urge to run
As the flames grow ever higher

I’m sure this was the case last Sunday
As Jaimie Dickman climbed on the truck
Ready and willing to dance with the Devil
Even before the alarm was struck

Told to stay close to one of the vets
And not wander from his sight
Steve Machcinski was the senior man
That Jaimie would shadow this night

Just another job, all were thinking
As they rolled toward the smoke
None could foresee the impending doom
That would come in one horrible stroke

This fire took two of Toledo’s bravest
Knocked their brothers to their knees
Jaimie believed that he’d see many fires
But in life there are no guarantees

God bless Stephen and James
God bless their brothers
God bless Toledo Fire Department
And watch out for each other

Capt. Tom Kenney
Providence (RI) Fire Department

ANGEL OF DEATH

.

Angel of Death

Many times throughout the years
We’ve battled in a tug of war
While he wins most, I do win some
But neither keeping score

An old familiar foe, I’ve come to respect
Though the consequences be immense
I’ll do my best to keep him at bay
Even as I question, at what expense

They take their toll, these constant struggles
Wearing me down little by little
Making me seam hard and unaffected
While my spirit turns ever so brittle

The sad fact of the matter is
Some sting more than others
This is especially true at those times
He comes to take away my brothers

All these years I’ve tried to hold it together
While witnessing so much pain
But my heart can only take so much
Before breaking from the strain

For the Angel of Death knows no mercy
He’s forever on patrol
He recruits the good as well as the bad
Stripping them bare to their soul

I will continue to wage war against him
Until he finally captures me
Protecting especially those whom I love
‘til my spirit is set free

Fire Expert in RI?

Since "Commissioner" & "Fire Chief" Pare opened the issue of raising the PFD mandatory retirement age (which forced me off the job) I just wanted to share that when I first retired I was looking for another career. My first thought was weatherman because I could be wrong 50% of the time and still be as good as my peers.

I've since re-evaluated my career choice. I'd like a career that allows me to be wrong almost every time and still be as good or better than my peers. I now want to be a Fire Service expert in RI. I'm just not sure how to go about getting myself certified as one as these fine gentlemen have. If anyone sees them can you ask them how they did it? For some reason they won't answer my inquiries. 35+ years fire service experience is not enough it seems. Ask them where the 1 day class is?

The Gloves Come Off

/
/
Jorge Elorza vs Providence Firefighters – The Gloves Come Off - GoLocalProv.com 10/15/15

I think it’s time to take the gloves off in our (Providence firefighters) battle with the so-called mayor of the City of Providence. In Sunday’s 10 News Conference this poor excuse for a human being states that the Providence firefighters have been on the overtime gravy train and he’s going to put a stop to it. He calls us greedy.

Now I understand that some of the general public, especially union haters, might agree with him, but I’d like to think that the reasonable people who may agree with him are not totally aware of the facts.

He continues to portray our battle as the union fighting to maintain grossly exaggerated overtime. Fact: Our battle has absolutely nothing to do with overtime. Our battle has everything to do with forcing us to work an additional 14 hours per week with only a day and 1Ž2 off between work weeks. We are not looking to maintain the recent overtime. We would like to see him cut out overtime by hiring enough firefighters. Working these exaggerated hours only makes our jobs unsafe for us and for the general public.

He complains about excessive overtime and states that his new scheduling will eliminate it. Fact: Overtime costs have risen in the first two months of his plan. Fact: The overtime is, and always has been, a direct result of understaffing. Presently the PFD is about 130 firefighters short of its normal staffing levels – approximately 1Ž4 of the department is unstaffed.

He states that the City is going to beat the union in court. Fact: It’s very unlikely that the City will prevail in court as the judge has already ruled that we go to binding arbitration, which is what we petitioned the court for. If the City does not win in court they will end up having to return to the previous shift schedule and will owe Providence firefighters somewhere between $9-16 million.

He states that he and his legal team are on top of the situation. Fact: His legal team has made one stupid mistake after another in this battle. They first attempted to petition the court to have our contract labeled null and void – until they realized (after our union stated such in the news) that all concessions given back to the City by firefighters in the past 5 years or so ($20-30 million) would have to be repaid to the members and that pension concessions that active and retired members agreed to a few years ago (which are saving millions of dollars) would also be rescinded. That’s a lot more than a small mistake.

His legal team also asked the judge to throw out our case after the judge had ruled in our favor regarding arbitration. That sounds good until you realize that such a motion is to be filed prior to the judge rendering a verdict – just another small mistake by his boys.

The City council voted to hire a lawyer on their own (an unprecedented move) to watch over the City’s lawyers in this case. That’s how much the council is worried about the competence of his crack team.

He states that he gave us an 8% pay raise to compensate for the additional 33% workload. Fact: He is paying each firefighter about $6 per hour for the extra 14 hours of work.

He testified to the RI General Assembly that “There’s no question that they should be paid for the extra hours they will work. The only question is whether that pay will be at the overtime rate or at straight time”. $6 per hour is not straight pay. He lied in his testimony!!

He told a group of firefighters that he would definitely not implement a change in the platoon system unilaterally before sitting down with the union. About an hour later he “notified” the union that he was announcing the change the next morning at a news conference that had already been called. Absolute liar!

If you go back in this story and read every article from the beginning you’ll see that every time the union and the City stated different views on an issue the union ended up being correct. This should give Providence taxpayers a very uneasy feeling going forward as this incompetent boob continues to guarantee victory. The financial ramifications are too large and too real to be ignored.

Fact: This little man continues to live in his parents’ basement – now that’s a real confidence builder!

Fact: This man visited Guatemala to visit a leader who resigned under protest as being involved in civil rights violations including attempted genocide on his own citizens. Mr. Elorza claimed to have not known anything about this. This gives me no confidence about him being an intelligent and informed leader of an American city or anyone with morals.

Fact: He also visited China while the City faces enormous legal and financial decisions daily at City Hall.

He states that his parents were (are?) illegal immigrants and supports illegals being given driver’s licenses. Apparently he believes in being fair to those who come to this country illegally and enjoy entitlements from the taxpayers but thinks that the greedy firefighters, who already worked more than 40 hours per week, deserve to be forced to work an additional 33% more hours for a token payment. Not to mention the dangerous conditions of our work.

He complains that one Rescue Captain made $116,000 in overtime last year, but he acknowledges that this Captain worked about 84 hours per week on average. That’s more hours than 2 full time employees at City Hall put in per week combined. This is actually something our union has been trying to eliminate by attempting to force the City to hire an adequate number of firefighters. Working understaffed is something the fire department has been doing since Cianci was mayor. Paying a bit of overtime is cheaper than hiring full time firefighters – up until a certain amount. This practice has been getting out of hand under the last three mayors (including Elorza), but then they blame the overtime on the firefighters. Liars!

He and his Commissioner of Public Safety, Steven Pare, are now insulting the integrity of our members and calling us liars and greedy. They are the ones who are liars – both of them! I hate to have to be so mean spirited while discussing his actions but he has proven to be an outright liar – even in his testimony to the General Assembly. You can’t fight someone with no moral character by being polite. Unfortunately I need to call him out.

If he is asked any questions on what I’ve posted he will most certainly re-state that the overtime is excessive…they’ve been on an overtime gravy train and I’m going to stop it…one Rescue Captain made over $100K in overtime…etc. If anyone attempts to ask him direct questions about how he lied to the General Assembly or what basis does he and his crack legal team have for expecting victory, he’ll probably run back to his office in a fit!

My "View Block's data skeptically" followed by Ken Block's attack piece on me

.
.

View Block's data skeptically
By Tom Kenney

Posted Jul. 25, 2015 at 2:01 AM


When it comes to fire service experts in Rhode Island, there are many men who could qualify.

And then there’s Ken Block and Watchdog RI. He has amassed quite a bit of raw data regarding Rhode Island fire departments, including contracts, budgets and pension systems. He is, simply put, the self-appointed Rhode Island fire-service guru. In the search for a true fire service expert, talk-radio hosts and The Providence Journal acquiesce to his expertise on the subject.

Is this concession justified? I think not.

You know the old computer adage, “junk in equals junk out?" I contend that this is exactly the case with all these so-called facts about fire department per capita costs that Mr. Block uses as basis for condemning the cost of Rhode Island fire protection.

All the raw data in the world cannot change the facts. They can, however, persuade people if the so-called facts are false, outdated, incorrectly entered or mistakenly interpreted.

Mr. Block has been asked, on many occasions, to share the link to the studies or surveys on which he bases all his conclusions. He has ignored these requests. He has stated that different factors regarding these studies, which have been questioned by people with working knowledge of the fire service, are “immaterial." He did state that one of the statistics he quotes regularly is from a 1999 report -- 16 full years ago!

He compares Rhode Island departments’ costs with the costs of others across the country. What he doesn’t seem to understand is the significance of the effects of population density, the percentage of volunteer departments vs. career departments in the state, square mileage being protected, fire load and, most importantly, the presence or absence of emergency medical with advanced life support services vs. limited or no EMS coverage included in fire department budgets. These are all huge factors in the costs of a department.

Rhode Island has only a small percentage of volunteer departments. Nationwide, 91.8 percent of all fire departments involve volunteers; in fact, 65.9 percent are fully volunteer. This fact alone would place Rhode Island's per capita fire costs in the top 8.2 percent in the country.

Almost all Rhode Island fire departments run with full EMS or ALS. Nationwide only 16.8 percent of all fire departments run to this standard. A full 38.6 percent of fire departments across the country run with no EMS at all connected to their fire department budgets. This would pretty much guarantee that Rhode Island would be in the top 16.8 percent of the most costly per capita. For the 83.2 percent that have limited or no EMS, taxpayers are not really saving money. Those EMS costs are simply budgeted in a different department.

As for population density, fire protection is far more costly in densely populated areas because there is a much higher risk of fire spreading from building to building. Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state, behind only New Jersey. This would suggest that Rhode Island ought to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 most costly state for fire service.

When you combine all these factors, it is not only justified that Rhode Island has the highest per capita costs for fire service in the country but fully expected! So, how can Mr. Block be taken seriously questioning spending on the fire departments of Rhode Island?

Are all of his statistics wrong, incorrect or misleading? Pretty much, in my opinion.

With the lack of anything I consider close to being accurate as the basis of his per capita costs for comparison of fire departments, I have a very strong suspicion that his statement of “fact” that “67 percent of career fire departments used 24-hour shifts -- and the vast majority of those were 3 platoon” -- is nothing more than his wishful assumption.

It is time for the media to stop anointing Ken Block as the fire service expert in Rhode Island. If he is going to continue to claim this himself, let him prove his conclusions by verifying his data and sharing his sources. If he does, I’ll stand down!







Ken Block: 80 percent of firefighters live outside city, explaining disdain for taxpayers




Posted Aug. 28, 2015 at 2:01 AM


The cost of fire protection in Rhode Island has been prominent in the news this year. The debate has been heated (pun fully intended). Firefighter union leaders engaged in campaigns to impugn WatchdogRI’s data and mission. This response of shooting the messenger is predictable, since it is the union’s job to gain the highest compensation and benefits possible for its members.

In a July 25 Commentary piece ("View Block's data skeptically"), one union member, Capt. Tom Kenney of the Providence Fire Department, questioned Watchdog’s data and motivations.

While an open, honest debate is necessary to formulate great public policy, it is difficult to take Captain Kenney’s criticisms seriously. While I have the highest regard for the job of firefighter and the people who perform that job, Captain Kenney’s open disdain for the taxpayers and administrators in the city of Providence provides a necessary backdrop to his opinions.

Captain Kenney’s Facebook cover photograph is a cartoon of the character Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame), dressed in the garb of a firefighter with a Providence Fire Department helmet, urinating on Providence City Hall. To complete this picture, Captain Kenney lives not in Providence, but in Warwick.

I believe that this dynamic cuts to one of the cores of the problem. Captain Kenney is not vested in the financial well-being of the city in which he works. He is not exposed to the crushing taxes and uncertain economic future facing Providence as a result of disastrous contract giveaways, such as a 6 percent compounding so-called cost-of-living adjustments for firefighter pensions.

In fact, an open records request of Providence firefighters and their addresses shows that about 80 percent of the force lives outside of Providence. Only one of five officers in the firefighter’s union lives in Providence.

Captain Kenney’s claim that Rhode Island’s ranking as the second most densely populated state justifies our high cost of fire protection needs to be challenged. Of course, Rhode Island’s tiny size makes this comparison ridiculous. Only one Rhode Island community, Central Falls, makes the list of the top 132 most densely populated communities in the country.

There are many more densely populated areas of the country with lower costs of fire protection than Rhode Island.

It is difficult to ignore the stark reality of the raw data. When we compared metropolitan Rhode Island with more densely populated places such as Dallas, Phoenix and others, Rhode Island fire protection was anywhere from 33 percent to 100 percent more expensive on a cost-per capita basis.

More shockingly, metropolitan Rhode Island had roughly as many fire engines and fire stations as the Phoenix and Dallas fire departments combined, even though they protect more than 2.5 million people in a total of about 850 square miles.

Captain Kenney argues that few fire departments across the country provide EMS at the level that some Rhode Island departments do, one of the reasons for higher costs here.

Our question is: If most of the fire departments across the country do not provide EMS services, why do many Rhode Island departments do things so differently? If most of the country uses private ambulance services for EMS, should Rhode Island follow suit? How much money could we save?

Are Rhode Island’s fire stations located in places that make sense, given advances in firefighting equipment? Are there redundancies between communities where fire stations sit on either side of a municipal border, too closely together to make any sense but never looked at because of the border?

These are the kinds of questions that our report was designed to encourage. It is not anti-firefighter to ask these questions. Fire protection is a vital public service which should not cost far more here than other places.

We all deserve, and should expect, high-quality fire protection.

Our firefighters deservedly ask for respect, and frankly I believe their job demands it.

Taxpayers also deserve to be respected. We are not, as Captain Kenney depicts in his lowbrow Facebook picture, urinals.

WatchdogRI’s report on the costs of fire protection in Rhode Island can be viewed here: www.watchdogri.org/fire/firedata1.html.

Ken Block is the chairman of WatchdogRI.org.

Being printed in Providence Journal September 8, 2015

Fire critic fails to cite data




By Tom Kenney



It’s funny how predictable a politician can be when asked to prove his
statements. The first lesson in politician school is to redirect any tough
questions and attack the questioner. Apparently Ken Block was paying
attention during that class.

I wrote a July 25 Commentary piece ("View Block's data skeptically"),
questioning the validity of his organization Watchdog RI’s conclusions on
the per capita costs of Rhode Island's fire service vs. the rest of the
United States. On Aug. 28, Mr. Block responded to my piece with his own
("Union shows disdain for taxpayers"). Unfortunately his piece contained
absolutely no response to my inquiries but attempted to redirect the
discussion and attack my character and credibility.

I have no desire to partake in a back and forth character assassination. I
do feel, however, that I first need to correct some of the misinformation
he presented about me.

He claims that I have an “open disdain” for the taxpayers of Providence
because of a satirical drawing of a figure urinating on Providence City
Hall on my personal Facebook page. While I may have an open disdain for the
administrators of the city, I have the utmost respect for the citizens of
Providence.

I have shed blood and broken bones carrying out my duties as a Providence
firefighter. I have been exposed to countless carcinogens, cyanide,
asbestos, HIV, Hep A, B, C, etc., over my 35-year career. I am, and always
have been, a true professional in carrying out my sworn duty, and I take
the attacks on my character very seriously and personally!

He points out that I live in Warwick as an insinuation that I am “not
vested in the financial well-being of the city in which [he] works." This
is completely false. I have a very large personal stake in the financial
well-being of the City of Providence. I love Providence. For 50 years,
including my first 25 years as a firefighter, I was a resident and taxpayer
in the city.

As to the original questions in my article, Mr. Block answers none of them.
I have asked him, as have others on many occasions, for any link or
document to show where he accumulated his “raw data." He has not answered
any of us; in fact he has deleted some of these people from his Facebook
account for continuing to make inquiries.

In his published response to my article, he compares the state of Rhode
Island to the cities of Dallas and Phoenix. His Watchdog RI’s original
report (the one I have been questioning) states that Rhode Island's per
capita costs for fire service are the highest of any state in the United
States. If he has all the data to support that this claim, then why does he
attempt to defend his position by comparing Rhode Island to two cities out
west?

He questions why fire departments in Rhode Island run the Emergency Medical
System (EMS). He knows full well, or should, that separating the two and
privatizing EMS would cost the same (if the level of care provided was
equal). The cost for EMS service would simply be budgeted to its own
department separate from the fire service, but the end result would be the
same.

Responsible discussions regarding ways to save costs of all municipal and
state services are always a good thing. Sometimes we need to take a fresh
look on how things have always been done. If savings can be achieved
without jeopardizing the quality of services, especially in public safety,
I would be all for it. I’m a taxpayer too. The discussions have to be
fact-based, however, to have any validity. That is why I’ve continued to
question Mr. Block’s conclusions.

In my original opinion piece I closed with the statement: "let him prove
his conclusions by verifying his data and sharing his sources. If he does I
will stand down." I repeat that statement once again, but as of yet there
has been no answers forthcoming.

Exit letter to PFD members...

.
.
Well, here I am just a couple of months away from permanent retirement from the Providence Fire Department…not wanting to face the fact that this part of my journey is over. I guess this is perfectly natural considering this is the greatest profession anyone could ever choose and the PFD is among the best fire departments in the entire country! …and so are the people!

From the moment I joined the department in 1980 my time has been leading toward the reward of my retirement. I’m extremely thankful to have made it this long in the streets. I may be battered but I’m not broken…not completely, anyway. I have to say that the experience has been even greater than I could have ever dreamed. I came from a firefighter family (my father retired as a Lt. on the PFD) and saw second hand the closeness and camaraderie which existed on this job; but no one can actually understand the true connection firefighters everywhere have for each other prior to working side by side with their brother firefighters. It is a singularly unique situation. We fight together side by side, as a team, in life threatening situations where you literally rely on the man next to you to keep you safe and you provide the same measure of unconditional support for him. We live together as a family, sometimes for years at a time. In this manner we are different from the military or police, even though we do share a common goal of “everyone goes home” as our first priority when we begin a shift.

I remember the many firefighters and officers who taught me along the way. Each had their own valuable lessons to bestow on a new firefighter and then a new officer. I listened, I learned and I trained until I was the best firefighter I could be. I owe everything good that I am as a firefighter and officer to those who came before me and shared with me the valuable lessons they had learned via older firefighters or from their own experiences. With this in mind, I hope that I’ve passed on some knowledge over the years to some of the guys I’ve worked with because that’s the ultimate goal of an old firefighter – helping to insure that the young firefighters actually become old firefighters. I urge the young guys to attempt to learn something new every day – what you learn today may end up saving your life tomorrow!

I would also encourage the younger firefighters to get involved with the many aspects of this job outside the station walls. There are so many opportunities to join with your brothers and sisters in a myriad of activities – some social, some athletic and some political. These times will be among the greatest experiences you will enjoy in your life so take full advantage when the opportunities arise. You’ll be surprised how quickly time slips away when you love your job.

Also, let your voice be heard. Don’t be afraid to speak up and voice concern over the direction the department or the union is heading. Remember…you are the department…you are the union! Make sure you attend the union meetings and when differences of opinion may arise, leave those differences in the union hall. Remember, there is strength in unity. No one else has your back except your brothers and sisters in the local. Respect the rank of Chief Officers who are not in the union but be very careful in placing your trust in them, they have other masters. Respect the office of those outside the fire service who are your superiors in the Chain-of Command (Commissioners, Councilpersons & Mayors) but NEVER trust them! They are all political animals, and as such are watching out only for themselves. This has been proven to us time after time.

To my many friends and peers on the PFD, thank you for the greatest experience of my life! I have enjoyed every minute I’ve spent with you both on and off duty. This job takes its toll both physically and emotionally but the rewards far outweigh the cost. Unfortunately all of us will reach this moment of separation from active duty in the fire service. There are many who, like me, are being forced to retire this year…and the next couple of years. As we go, we all hope that the members who remain will keep the tradition and reputation of the Providence Fire Department alive and well. Remember, you (we) are the department! …you (we) are the union!

Stay safe!

Tom Kenney

Providence Journal - Letter to the Editor

.
.
In response to Steven Frias’ op/ed in Wednesday’s Journal titled, “Soaked by RI’s firefighter unions” my first thought was – are you kidding?

He attempts to show that RI’s firefighter unions should be stopped in our attempt to fight the implementation of an additional 14 hours being added to our work week. He states that RI fire unions fought to reduce our work week from 56 hours to 42 hours in 1970-71. Again I say, are you kidding?

That was 45 years ago. He wants to rationalize changing our hours back to 56 because that was the norm for firefighters in RI 45 years ago? Mr. Frias is an attorney. Are lawyers working the same hours they did in 1971. What if I increased his weekly hours by 33% every week? Think he’d think that was fair? What if I told him that he’d also have to reduce his hourly wage by over 20%? That is what the cities and towns expect of their firefighters if they are going to save taxpayer money by switching to the 3 platoon, 56 hour, system.

1971 – All in the Family debuted on TV; The Ed Sullivan Show was still on the air; J. Edgar Hoover was still head of the FBI; 1st class postage was 6 cents; and Don McLean’s “American Pie” was released…
1971 - Average Income per year $10,600.00; Average Monthly Rent $150.00; Cost of a gallon of Gas 40 cents; Datsun 1200 Sports Coupe $1,866.00; 3 Bedroom House Chicago $16,500. Things have changed for everyone!
Yes it was a long, long time ago…and firefighter unions, and many other unions across the entire country, fought many hard battles to gain improvements and compensation in the workplace. Heck, it was only 7 short years before, in 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed after many contentious demonstrations and protests. Would Mr. Frias, or some other person out there, like to roll the clock back to 1963 and take away the hard fought gains of the civil rights activists?

I think we’ve all improved our lot since 1971, at least I’d hope so. The future is about pushing ever forward, not rolling back to the so-called “good old days”!


Tom Kenney
Captain - Providence Fire Department




• Steven Frias: Soaked by the firefighters unions

Posted Jul. 1, 2015 at 2:01 AM
Recently, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the North Kingstown Town Council could implement a new fire department platoon structure that increases firefighters’ workweek from 42 to 56 hours. According to North Kingstown Town Council member Carol Hueston, Rhode Island taxpayers could save $75 million to $100 million per year from this reform. However, General Assembly legislation was quickly introduced to give firefighters a 42-hour workweek. Firefighters said this legislation guaranteed them a workweek which they have enjoyed in the past. Rhode Island history shows that firefighters did not always have a 42-hour week and that the shift to one was partly the result of intimidation and binding arbitration.

In 1967, the Cranston firefighters union wanted higher pay and fewer hours. Cranston Mayor James DiPrete Jr. offered the firefighters an 8 percent raise but resisted the request to reduce their workweek from 56 hours to 42 hours because firefighters “spend part of their workweek sleeping.” As a result, the firefighters union began picketing City Hall and the fire station. When some city employees crossed the picket line, they reportedly became the victims of threats. Frank Montanaro, leader of the Cranston firefighters’ union, called the dispute “combat” and picketing spread to all public construction sites in Cranston, thereby disrupting school construction. Cranston Herald editorials noted that the “56-hour workweek” was the “norm” for firefighters “all over the country” and called the picketing a “way to make the residents come to their knees.” The picketing at the schools only came to a halt after a Superior Court judge ruled that it was designed “to coerce, compel, force and bludgeon” officials into submission.

The next year, DiPrete relented. In the spring of 1968, an agreement was reached that gave the firefighters union a 13 percent raise and a reduction in work hours from 56 to 48. Montanaro called the contract “one of the best firemen’s agreements in New England.”
Pleased but not appeased, Montanaro obtained more a few months later. Right before the 1968 election, a new agreement gave the firefighters another pay raise and further reduced their workweek to 42 hours as of July 1, 1971.

DiPrete considered the contract a “milestone.” It soon turned into a millstone around the neck of taxpayers. The reduction from a 56-hour week to a 42 hours helped increase the staffing at the Cranston fire department by about 25 percent in less than five years. At the same time, the pay of firefighters increased by about 35 percent and fire department personnel costs nearly doubled.

Montanaro considered the deal “one of the best in the United States” and indicated he would “send copies of the contract to unions in other cities.” One by one, like a row of dominoes, Rhode Island communities gave way before the firefighter unions’ march to a 42-hour workweek. In 1970, a binding arbitration decision led to Providence adopting a 42-hour workweek. In 1971, Warwick agreed to implement a 42-hour week, after its legal challenge to Rhode Island’s binding arbitration law failed. Those who could have stopped them would not. Those who would have stopped them could not. By 1989, nearly all of Rhode Island’s paid fire departments had gone to a 42 hour workweek.

Soon thereafter, The Providence Journal reported that a United States Commerce Department survey showed that Rhode Island had one of the highest levels of per-capita spending on fire protection in the nation. More recent analyses show Rhode Island is still among the highest.
High firefighter personnel costs are a major reason for Rhode Island’s high property taxes. To help lower Rhode Island’s property taxes, firefighters’ work schedules will need to increase to a 56 hour workweek, like that of many of their peers across the nation. Unless a change is made, Rhode Island taxpayers will continue to get soaked by the firefighters unions, as they have been for more than four decades.

Steven Frias, a twice-monthly contributor, is a regulatory attorney, Rhode Island’s Republican National Committeeman and the author of "Cranston and Its Mayors: A History."

Go Local Prov - Ken Block no fire expert

.
.
.
There’s been much discussion this past week regarding the governor’s request for the GA to enact tolling for trucks on RI’s highways. Much of the criticism is aimed, rightfully, at the governor because she’s trying to rush this through without proper discussion or investigation of the best way, if any, to implement this system.

Similarly, there has been a rush by Mayor Elorza to implement a structural change to the scheduling of firefighters in the City of Providence. He, and his staff, announced over a month ago that this change would take place on July 1st, but as of June 26ththey have yet to come up with a definitive plan. This is totally irresponsible on his part. He still isn’t fully aware of the ripple effects, and their costs, that this will set into motion. He still doesn’t know whether any system he implements will save the city any money or whether it will cost the city more money to run the fire department. All he knows is that, at least in the initial stages, it will cut down on overtime costs. The same overtime costs that the city has chosen to pay over the last ten years or so because it was cheaper to pay the overtime than it was to hire more firefighters. At one point in 2013 the PFD was short by over 200 firefighters until they hired 100+ new firefighters in 2014. At present the fire department is still over 100 firefighters short of the full staffing that existed prior to the overtime “problem”.

Enter Ken Block of Watchdog RI and Dan Kinder, the lawyer for the town of North Kingstown who helped the town change their firefighter’s schedules. He then sold a bill of goods to mayors and town managers stating that they could all save thousands, or millions, of dollars by implementing the same plan. He, in his infinite wisdom as a fire department expert (not!), claimed it made no difference that one department might have 50 firefighters and 3,500 calls per year and another has 500 firefighters and over 45,000 calls per year. All fire departments are the same? Not so!

Mayor Elorza, having absolutely no knowledge of fire department operations and about 3 months experience in running a city, jumped on board without even discussing it with anyone who has a working knowledge of fire departments.

And then there’s Ken Block and Watchdog RI, the citizen(s) group seemingly set up to build a case for slashing fire department personnel and budgets in RI, to the rescue (pardon my pun). He has amassed quite a bit of raw data regarding RI fire departments including contracts, budgets and pension systems. He claims that the pension systems are unfunded and in trouble. Duh, thanks for pointing that out to the rest of the state, Ken, we didn’t know that.

He also claims to be the self-appointed guru in terms of knowledge of fire department shifts, staffing, costs and just about anything else that has to do with fire safety, firefighters and fire departments. In the search for truth and real facts it doesn’t help when John DePetro (another joker), Dan Yorke and Mark Patinkin acquiesce to his expertise on the subject of fire departments.

You know the old saying, “junk in equals junk out” with regard to supposedly error free software? I contend that this is exactly the case with all these so-called facts about fire department per capita costs that Mr. Block uses as basis for condemning RI fire departments and their costs. All the raw data in the world cannot change the facts. They can, however, convince people otherwise if they’re false, outdated, incorrectly entered or mistakenly interpreted. Mr. Block has been asked, on many occasions and by multiple persons, to share the link to the studies or surveys on which he bases all his conclusions. He has ignored these requests. He has stated that different factors regarding these studies, which have been put to him by people with working knowledge of the fire service, as “immaterial”. He did state that one of the statistics he quotes regularly is from a 1999 report.

He compares RI departments’ costs with the costs of other fire departments across the country. What he doesn’t seem to understand is the significance of the effects of population density, the percentage of volunteer departments vs. career departments, square mileage being protected and most importantly the presence or absence of EMS systems with ALS (Advanced Life Support) vs. limited or no EMS coverage included in fire department budgets. These are all huge factors in the costs of a department.

RI has a small percentage of volunteer departments, most are career departments. Nationwide only 8.2% of all fire departments are career departments with all the costs associated with such. In fact, 65.9% are fully volunteer.

Almost all, if not all, RI fire departments run with full EMS with ALS. Nationwide only 16.8% of all fire departments run to this standard with all of the costs associated with such. A full 38.6% of fire departments across the country run with no EMS at all connected to their fire department budgets.

As for the factor of population density, it is far more costly and presents a much higher risk for fire spread from building to building in densely populated areas. RI is the 2nd most densely populated state in the USA, behind on New Jersey. This fact also, justifiably, contributes to an increase in the cost of fire protection.

In another one of the charts posted on Watchdog RI’s website he compares RI’s fire costs to an area with about 1/9 the area of RI. On that very same chart he compares us an area about 4 times the size of RI.

Can you say, “apples to oranges”?

With the lack of anything I consider close to being accurate with the “statistics” he uses as the basis of his per capita costs for comparison of fire departments I have a very strong suspicion that his statement of “fact” that “67% of career fire departments used 24-hour shifts – and the vast majority of those were 3 platoon”.

It is time the media stop anointing Ken Block as the fire service expert in RI. If he is going to continue to claim this himself let him prove his conclusions by verifying his data and sharing his sources.

Making hasty decisions based on incorrect information helps no one. I believe the general public supports Mayor Elorza’s plan to add 14 more hours per week to his firefighters’ schedules because they’ve been told by “the expert” that this is the way the rest of the country does it and that RI’s fire departments cost much more per capita than anywhere else in the country.

Let him prove all his “facts” and I’ll stand down!

Tom Kenney

Letter to Mayor Elorza

.
.
.
Mayor Elorza:

I’m writing as a concerned citizen of RI who has some very grave concerns about the path you’ve chosen with the Providence Fire Department. For the record let me state that I’m a Providence firefighter and have been for 35 years. My love and dedication to this department is second to none. I’ve given almost the entirety of my adult life to this department and feel I need to speak up before you single handedly (under the advice of your COO & Mr. Kinder) destroy over 150 years of proud and courageous service of this nationally recognized fire department.

You are asking every member of this department to work an additional 33% more hours for a 5-10% raise. Think about how absurd that really is. You will not save any taxpayer money. Already over 50 members have retired (with many more in the wings). Your so-called buffer of over 30 extra firefighters per group before reaching O/T has just dwindled by 17 or more per platoon. You will not cut out O/T in this way and you will look foolish when the media runs an article in a year or so stating that Elorza’s plan to eliminate O/T has failed.

This union (my opinion) will never come to an agreement with you on this issue. We (again, my opinion) will fight you through as many courts and judges as may be needed. Think about the massive legal fees, damages and retroactive pay the city will have to pay if we are successful. Remember that North Kingstown was working with an expired contract. Remember further that North Kingstown’s fire union missed a mandatory filing date for negotiating a secondary contract and that’s the loophole that created the Supreme Court decision. You are rolling the dice, in a best case scenario.

Also, and I don’t know whether you’re aware of this or not, your COO has a very strong personal agenda against the PFD. At a picket a few years ago some of the PFD members, in very poor taste, chided him and made derogatory remarks regarding his sexual orientation. This history makes him intent on inflicting as much damage as possible on the members of this department – on a very personal level.

Think about it…all those individuals who are pushing you the hardest on this issue have much riding on you being successful on this issue. They have, however, nothing on the line if you are unsuccessful. They are in the wings pushing and hoping, but not risking any precious political capital. You are the sole individual who is tied, politically, to the success or failure of “your” proposal.

Smiley is not a player in this in the eyes of the general public and will live to run again if you fall on your face. Kinder is attempting to gain clients of the other cities and towns of this state and will be in a very good position to do so if you succeed. If you do not succeed, he will state that you screwed it up and will continue to lobby other mayors – no damage done. The same goes for the other mayors and the political pundits who have praised your “courage”. They will, undoubtedly, push on and state that you didn’t follow through or didn’t have the political courage or savvy to get it done, again no damage to their reputations. As for the Commissioner, he would love to see savings in the Public Safety budget on the back of the fire department. That would allow him to strengthen the police department, always his priority, without having to lobby for extra money from your administration. He has absolutely no knowledge or understanding of what it takes to run an effective fire department!

Pardon the puns, but you are playing with fire! If you are unsuccessful, you take the heat all by yourself. If you are successful, and you force the PFD into this new schedule, you better hope that not a single death or serious injury (to the public or to a PFD firefighter) can be attributed to the effects of the extra weekly hours or the confusion of implementing the new system.

Also, you should not underestimate the fact that the general public can see right through your lies regarding “the B word”. They don’t buy the fact that you state that the current PFD system will lead the City down the road to bankruptcy, especially when you continue to find ways to spend future tax income with grandiose ideas such as the trolley system. They simply don’t call you on it because they, like the others who are pushing you, would love to see the City save taxes on the backs of the firefighters. They will, however, hold you accountable if your plan fails to save money or, God forbid, costs these taxpayers extra money – a distinct possibility!

Tom Kenney

The Providence Fireman turns 60!!

We’ll Take it From Here


They didn’t know going in
But they knew, they knew
But when all Hell broke loose
They should have withdrew

That wasn’t in their nature
They had to push ahead
Instead of going the safe way
Took the hero’s way instead

We’ve each faced that moment
When we have to decide
That’s the point when lesser men
Retreat safely outside

But not these brave firefighters
They would have none of that
For they had a job before them
Which they had to get at

So they pushed ever forward
Through smoke, through heat
No giving up now for them
No sounding retreat

But the fire got behind them
And their water ran out
That’s when they realized
And in crept some doubt

“Is someone coming to get us?”
You could now hear their fear
The Lieutenant calls another Mayday
Hoping someone will hear

They fought bravely still, however
Asking for more water
Letting their brothers know
Saying, “It’s getting hotter”

Only another fireman can gauge
By a muffled transmission
The moment a battle against fire
Becomes a rescue mission

Every man on that scene
Knew only too well
Without quick intervention
This could be a death knell

Their brothers fought to reach them
But it was not to be
They were ordered from the building
Despite each man’s plea

We know what the dangers are
Before we sign on
We put our lives on the line
From day one and thereon

Now these heroes will be honored
By all of their peers
We’ll march and salute them
Try to hold back our tears

God bless you, Mike and Ed…
You’ve been given “all clear”
So go enjoy your rest brothers
We’ll take it from here

Back Bay of Boston


A wind-whipped day in the Back Bay of Boston
Gusts approaching 40 miles-per-hour
Heavy smoke obscuring the view of the street
A cloak of black hiding all but a Tower

A fire had begun in the basement of a brownstone
Located at two-ninety-eight Beacon Street
As apparatus maneuvered to the front of the building
Remaining residents began their retreat

While first-in Jakes searched the building for victims
Others headed down toward the basement
They need to quickly put water on the seat of the fire
Concentrating on their line placement

There’s nothing more important than containing the flames
Before it can blossom to the stairs
To reach the fire entails descending a red-hot chimney
The heat burning your neck hairs

Crossing the Gates of Hades is the only true comparison
To which you can relate this task
Lost in the darkness despite all this fire and heat
Peering for a glow through your mask

A blaze in a large apartment building requires more
Than a single Ladder and Engine
Nine Alarms are transmitted to call additional help
To contain any horizontal extension

Any firefighter who has made that trip into Hell
Will say you just have to push through
For once on the bottom there’s at least a little relief
Unless the fire gets behind you

With the wind whipping through the entire building
The flames can play hide and seek
One minute they’re located right in front of your eyes
And the next behind you they sneak

The boys on the Engine had battled to the basement
And thought they had an escape
But the gusts from the wind played its deadly hand
And the seeds of disaster took shape

At first it was a Mayday that seemed fairly common
At least as these things go
But it was quickly apparent their exit was blocked
And the flames were beginning to grow

Things can turn swiftly at the scene of a fire
From good to bad to worse
For this very reason we are continually drilling
Every contingency is rehearsed

When these firefighters had first entered the building
It seemed a job like many before
But the scene had transformed from calm to utter chaos
By the time they were carried out the door

Reflections on the Trayvon Martin killing & Zimmerman Trial

>
>
Zimmerman trial is now in the hands of the jury. I only hope that we've come far enough as a society to avoid any violence if the jury acquits. We have the best legal system in the world but it is, after all, an imperfect system that usually tilts toward the rights of the accused.

My opinion:

I've only watched or read about this trial off and on but I believe that Zimmerman should be found guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter. But...I don't know whether or not the prosecution proved its case. I'm also not sure of how Florida's "stand your ground" law is applicable, therefore I believe he will get off.

My thought as a firefighter on the street - as many of my friends are police officers, fire and EMS personnel, I think we all have had many encounters with the "wanna-be's" out there. Almost without exception they do more harm than good at emergency scenes. I think that Zimmerman was a "wanna-be" who should have heeded the advice of the 911 operator to back off and let the police respond to handle it. (Although by continuing to follow Martin he broke no law.) Zimmerman also took a loaded firearm with him - as opposed to a whistle or taser, etc.

Again, I hope for a peaceful reaction no matter what the decision.

The verdict was not guilty. Is it the correct verdict?? I have no idea. All I really do know is that a 17 y/o boy is dead and Zimmerman was an asshole for continuing to follow him and carrying a handgun in that situation. Another “wanna-be” fucks up. Nothing new there. Again, like I said, was he guilty of 2nd degree murder or manslaughter.....I really don't know.

I do know (because I'm a passionate guy regarding individual's rights) that I can't put myself in the mindset of a black man. If I were black I might be totally disgusted and offended. But I'm not and as I see it via my eyes and experiences this was not a case about race. I also have to applaud any person who is genuinely upset with the verdict but would never even consider participating in a violent or destructive protest.

To my white firefighter friends out there….

I’ve been trying to understand how this verdict seems to divide people (almost exclusively) by race – even our own black firefighter friends who we trust and love like brothers. I think I can offer an analogy that can place this in perspective.

Compare this verdict to a court decision or political decision that cuts our pension once again. The general public (white firefighters) sees a 10 year suspension of our COLA’s as a reasonable fix to a terrible fiscal problem for the City. We firefighters (black firefighters) get pissed as hell and lash back in the media, etc. with statements such as, “Do you know how much we’ve been shit on over the last several years? This is just another example of how those with political power keep the working man down and in their place!”

The public knows nothing about firefighter struggles on a personal level, just as we know nothing of the history of the black person’s struggles with regard to racial discrimination that has kept them “in their place” over the last several years. While things are drastically different than a half century ago, none of us can claim that racism is completely a thing of the past!

Stay safe!

The Righteous Path

>
>
The Righteous Path


I hear much talk about the righteous path
The one that God doth chose
And those that believe that this is the way
Are doing God’s work, they suppose

The kingdom, the power, the might and the way
Will lead them to paradise in the end
But those who oppose this holy endeavor
Will never force them to bend

For the will of God is a one-way street
And only “His” people see the light
They’ll continue to force “His” will on others
For only “He” knows what is right

The problem I have with these holy wars
Is that everyone’s God is different
And it depends to which God that you pray
What “you” decide that “God” meant

Attacking or conquering in the name of righteousness
Are the misguided goals of a few
For no one can claim to understand God’s plan
Or for another, his faith renew

But this is exactly the way of the world
Always has and always will be
For mortal men are simple in intellect
Limited in what they can see

Preaching to others about what to believe
Is a simplistic plan for destruction
And attempting to force your beliefs on them
Can only lead to corruption

For those with the power to enforce their will
Will always seek to control
And ultimate control can’t be shared with God
Even at the cost of their soul

So what is the answer to this endless quagmire
Will we ever learn to live together
Is there any chance we can respect each other
Do away with oppression forever

Sadly, I’d have to say, not in my lifetime
Nor the next few generations
We’ll have to evolve as a species first
To see beyond our limitations

But, hopefully, someday that time will arrive
When our differences seem rather petty
Until that day we must guide our children
So that they, then, will be ready

Forged By Fire

>
.
Forged by fire

Long ago I began this journey
Not knowing what to expect
Now those who came before me
Have earned my utmost respect

I realize that it’s not “my” destiny
That keeps me pushing forward
It’s more about “our” traditions
Than any personal rewards

Forged by fire
Hardened like steel
Makes me question
Exactly what’s real

Started out as flexible
Willing to bend any way
Taught early to fight my fear
Not let it get in the way

So as I edge closer to retirement
I feel it’s my sacred obligation
To pass on the lessons I’ve learned
To another firefighting generation

I didn’t come to this job with experience
I learned it all from others
They taught me the way they learned
Straight from their veteran brothers

It’s never been about any individual
Firefighting’s a team sport
If there be only one lesson I could pass on
It’s believe in what you’re taught

Respect & Pride

.
.
John Lennon once wrote “All you need is love”. In a person’s early years that might be right on, but in our adult worlds I have to disagree with him on this one. While love is something that is extremely important, and something we all crave, I submit that the one thing we all need most in our lives is something that Aretha Franklin sang about all those years ago also, “respect”.

Respect is earned – we’ve all heard that before, right? Well, by the time we’ve become adults our actions have already proven who we are – morally, socially, etc. While we are constantly evolving as beings, our core values are usually set in our early adulthood.

In recent years the respect level shown to firefighters by those outside our profession has been seemingly non-existent. We have been under constant attack by those who would accuse us of being overpaid and over-glorified public servants. Many outsiders don’t understand what we do or how we do it. None of the politicians have shown us the respect we deserve. To them we’re merely numbers on a budget ledger.

The one thing we have maintained during these recent attacks on our integrity is our mutual respect for each other. In our close knit brotherhood we’ve had each others’ backs and respected what our brothers and sisters have done or earned – by way of actions on the street or promotion to higher ranks. This has been true for as long as I can remember. For the Providence Fire Department this began to change as members became more and more disheartened under the parade of weak Chiefs of Department after Mike DeMascolo. It got continually worse until it bottomed out under George Farrell.

Once this chief was forced out I had great hope that things were going to change for the better. Well, they have……..yet they have not. We now have an administration in charge of our fire department that is attempting to restore the pride, the integrity and the honor to the PFD. Years of petty and personal decisions made to benefit a chosen few have lead the rank and file to lose the overall pride we once had for our great department. Although I may not always or completely agree with the way the new administration is going about it, their efforts could turn the tide in the right direction.

However…..they need to understand that we will never be as “spit & polish” as the military. We are the working man’s heroes. Part firefighter, part nurse, part plumber, part chemist, etc. – jacks-of-all-trades. We get our hands dirty on a daily basis. When a person is being attacked or robbed or threatened they call the police. When they find themselves in danger from any other source they call the fire department…and we always respond in a professional and timely manner. No matter what!

Another area that this administration fails to take into consideration when dealing with the individuals on the department is the importance of “honorable service” – especially a long and distinguished career of honorable service. This seems to mean nothing to them. They need to understand that for all the right strides taken to restore pride in our department, discounting the value of the individual’s service will most certainly sabotage any possible gains in that area. The rank and file members need to believe that their service and loyalty toward the betterment of the department is a two-way street.

I believe that until this administration understands these facts our department will never turn the corner toward becoming, once again, a fire department that we can all take pride in.

TIRED............

>

I’m 58…..but I feel like I’m 70.

I’ve been on the job for 32 years…..but it feels like 50.

I’m sooooo deep-down dog tired.

I used to love this job…..now I dread going to work.

I tire too quickly, drink too much and cry too easily…..

I used to expect the best from everyone…..but now I trust no one!

I used to care about everyone…..now I only care about my family, my fellow first responders and the victims

I used to write in an attempt to change hearts and minds…..now I write to keep sane

Getting very close to the time to pack it all in and retire.

Too much abuse to my body…..to my heart…..to my very soul.

Nothing seems to change; at least not in positive measures.

I’ve just about lost hope on the direction of society and I fear for my children’s and grandchildren’s futures, but feel powerless to protect them.

I desperately want to some how, magically, wake up to a brighter tomorrow but…..

I’ve seen too many suffer, too many perish, too many hate and too many simply demand that “we” provide for “them”…..entitlement!

I’ve seen too many people lie & cheat & worse with no consequence…..and too many good people punished in the name of “image” or “political correctness”…..

I’ve seen too many people abuse the power afforded them and too many good, decent, moral people who feel (correctly so) powerless to make a difference.

At some point a person has to walk away…………………………

West, Texas Fire & Boston Heroes (again)

>

It’s hard to imagine that a Volunteer Fire Department that has been without a Line of Duty Death for it’s over 100 year existence, serves a community of about 2,800 residents and only had approximately 30 members could lose 9 members in a split second….but that’s exactly what happened in West, Texas this past week. This department reportedly responded to only around 120 calls per year.

Yet, these members responded without hesitation to an obviously large fire in, by far, the most hazardous property in the entire area. All they knew was that their community and its residents were facing a major emergency and they were the ones that had signed on to “protect life and property” in their town. It was not their job, but it was their duty. They knew that the only way to prevent a catastrophic disaster was to act bravely and act fast. So, they rushed to the scene and very quickly paid the ultimate price. The price that all First Responders know, in the back of their minds, that they might be called on to pay some day.

Heroes are not the ones who stand up in front of you and pound on their chests to let you know how tough and brave they are. Real heroes are born of circumstance. They are the ones who step up and answer the call without thinking of themselves when faced with choice of putting themselves in danger to assist and protect strangers or distancing themselves from the danger expecting “others” to step up. Real heroes are the “others”. These men from West, Texas are the real heroes.

So are the First Responders, doctors, nurses and good Samaritans who stepped up in Boston and its surrounding communities earlier this week. Be proud that America has so many potential heroes amongst us who are willing to place themselves in danger to assist the rest of us in our time of need. This week has certainly put the spotlight directly on the “great” qualities and character that makes this country so strong. Our willingness to stand tough and fight will always outweigh any hardships, natural or man-wrought, that we may face as a country!

God bless all those who have stood tall this past week!!

Boston Marathon Bombings

Yesterday, in Boston, evil once again reared its ugly head. It’s becoming all too commonplace in this world of ours. We’re becoming numb to it all. That is, until it hits close to home.

Remember that these cowardly acts perpetrated against innocent victims in other parts of the globe have the same personal consequences to real people that this act had in Boston. It’s easy to ignore the pain and the horror when it’s halfway around the world, but it is exactly the same. We can only search out and punish the perpetrators and pray for the victims and their loved ones and families.

Another common factor in all these terrible scenes is the incredible heroism and dedication of the First Responders. This was never as visible as it was on 9/11 where hundreds of firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel were witnessed by millions on TV running into the towers before the unthinkable happened. The same reaction could be witnessed yesterday by all First Responders and other Good Samaritan civilians and doctors. They rushed to help even after a second bomb echoed in their ear, making them aware that there could be more attacks to come. God bless them all.

I have been a firefighter for over 32 years and it never surprises me that these men and women act this way at the most terrifying moments we encounter as human beings. Sure, we train for Mass Casualty events quite often. Training, however, only teaches you what needs to be done in these situations, but it takes a special quality in an individual to actually react so unselfishly and selflessly at a moment’s notice. These men and women will not forget the horrific sights they saw yesterday – never. They will be awakened with these images for the rest of their lives. But….even knowing the dangers they were immediately facing and being aware of the long term effects that they would encounter they willingly, and eagerly, rushed to the scene to make a difference. That’s what they do. That’s what we do.

I pray for all those who were so horribly affected and I’m extremely proud of my brother and sister First Responders. God bless them all!