Elorza, Fire Union at odds over weekend staffing

December 7, 2015 7:42 pm

By Rebecca Turco

rturco@abc6.com

More finger-pointing in Providence over the months-long battle over scheduling changes in the fire department.

Numerous firefighters called out over the weekend causing the mayor to question whether they were actually sick. The head of the Fire Union, Paul Dougthy, is saying Mayor Elroza put the city at risk by running the department without a full staff instead of giving firefighters overtime.

Monday, there is a disconnect on both sides of the issue, as the number of firefighters that called out and whether fire engines were actually shut down is up for debate. Both sides are saying the battle is going a bit far.

The City of Providence and its fire department are pointing fingers after the call-outs this weekend caused a reshuffle of firefighters to make up for the loss.

"When you have sick time spiking on Fridays or Saturdays or Sunday, that’s suspicious and that’s a concern," said Mayor Jorge Elorza.

"All he’s trying to do is whip everybody up into a frenzy. He doesn’t even understand the facts," Doughty told ABC6.

At least 14 firefighters called out between Saturday and Sunday, though the Fire Union is saying seven more did, and that four engines had to be shut down.

"It seemed to be a little haphazard…fast-moving. There didn’t seem to be much of a plan in place," said City Council President, Luis Aponte.

The Public Safety Commissioner tells ABC6 the city asked off-duty firefighters to come in, but they refused the Union, countering that’s because they weren’t forced to, saying the city could have instead paid overtime to the firefighters already on duty.

"If this is about public safety, they had the firefighters there and ready to work. And they chose, on their own, to send them home," said Doughty. "They put the public at risk by doing that."

The whole situation has the mayor suspicious, saying he’s seen spikes in people calling out sick over the weekend since he implemented the 3-platoon scheduling change back in August.

"Taking time off for frivolous reasons–that’s not the answer. We have to work together and make sure we resolve this in a way that we don’t compromise or sacrifice safety," said Elorza.

Doughty says that’s a scare tactic and nothing more, "I’m calling him out now. Prosecute them–because he doesn’t have a shred of evidence."

ABC6 is told the Public Safety Commissioner and the Union did meet Monday afternoon over the issue, and both sides agreed to continue negotiations.