The Providence Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Providence, Rhode Island.
Operational area | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
State | Rhode Island |
City | Providence |
Agency overview[1][2] | |
Established | March 1, 1854 |
Annual calls | 51,351 (2014) |
Annual budget | $67,775,182 (2014) |
Staffing | Career |
Fire chief | Derek Silva |
IAFF | 799 |
Motto | “In Omnia Paratus,” meaning “In All Things Ready”[3] |
Facilities and equipment[4] | |
Divisions | 1 |
Battalions | 3 |
Stations | 12 |
Engines | 12 |
Trucks | 7 |
Platforms | 2 |
Squads | 1(Special Hazards) |
Rescues | 7 (ambulances) |
Tenders | 1 |
HAZMAT | 1 |
Fireboats | 1 |
Rescue boats | 1 |
Light and air | 1 |
Website | |
Official website | |
IAFF website |
History
editProvidence's first fire department was organized in 1759.[5] The state General Assembly raised money to purchase the town's first large water engine, and required every citizen to acquire a pair of two-gallon leather buckets to form volunteer bucket brigades.[3]
On March 1, 1854, a paid fire department was established, making it the second oldest professional fire department in the country.[3]
A years-long contract dispute between the city and the firefighter's union began in 2001.[6] Mayor David Cicilline promised to resolve the dispute within 30 days of his election in 2002, but was unable to reach an agreement.[6] In 2009, the dispute became national news as Vice President Joe Biden refused to attend the national mayor’s conference, held that year in Providence, so as not to cross the picket line.[7]
As part of a 2017 agreement reached by mayor Jorge Elorza, the Humboldt Avenue and Rochambeau Avenue firehouses were decommissioned to save costs.[8][9]
Operations
editFire Station Locations and Apparatus
editThe PFD operates out of twelve fire stations, organized into three battalions[10]
Engine Company | Ladder Company | Rescue Ambulance Units | Special Unit | Chief Unit | Address | Neighborhood | Battalion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine 2 | Ladder 7 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 3 | Battalion Chief 3 | 10 Branch Ave. | Mt. Hope | 3 | |
Engine 3 | Tower Ladder 1 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 4 | Special Hazards 1(Heavy Rescue & Haz-Mat) | Division Chief 1(Deputy Chief), Safety Battalion Chief | 325 Washington St. | Federal Hill | 1 |
Engine 6 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 2 | 489 Hartford Ave. | Hartford | 2 | |||
Engine 7 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 5 | Air Cascade Unit 1 | 151 N. Main St. | College Hill | 3 | ||
Engine 8 | Tower Ladder 2 | Battalion Chief 2 | 201 Messer St. | West End | 2 | ||
Engine 9 | Ladder 8 | Fireboat 1 | 223 Brook St. | Fox Point | 3 | ||
Engine 10 | Ladder 5 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 1 | 847 Broad St. | Lower South Providence | 1 | ||
Engine 11 | 274 Reservoir Ave. | Reservoir | 1 | ||||
Engine 12 | Ladder 3 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 7 | 426 Admiral St. | Elmhurst | 3 | ||
Engine 13 | Foam Unit | Battalion Chief 1 | 776 Allens Ave. | Washington Park | 1 | ||
Engine 14 | Ladder 6 | Rescue Ambulance Unit 6 | 639 Atwells Ave. | Valley | 2 | ||
Engine 15 | Car 56, Car 72 (Fire Investigations) | 136 Mt. Pleasant Ave. | Mt. Pleasant | 2 |
Former stations
edit-
Humboldt Avenue Fire Station (decommissioned 2017)
References
edit- ^ "2014 Annual Budget". Providence Rhode Island. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ "2014 Annual Report". Providence Fire Department. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ a b c "About Us". City of Providence Fire Department. City of Providence. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Stations". Providence Fire Department. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ "Providence Fire Department Records". Rhode Island Historical Society. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b Molinaro, Sara (31 October 2006). "Firefighters and city make slow progress in contract talks". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Providence mayor, union duel over national meeting". Deseret News. Associated Press. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ Bramson, Kate (7 January 2017). "Providence firehouses closing as part of downsizing". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Reynolds, Mark (5 January 2017). "Providence, firefighters' union approve 5-year contract, ending long standoff". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Find a fire station".