Corrigan Presents Plan for 56-Hour Firefighter Work Week

by | Apr 7, 2018

Station One on Main Street.

By Elizabeth F. McNamara

Among other ideas, the town manager suggests returning to a volunteer fire service and/or contracting out EMS service.

East Greenwich, R.I. – Town Manager Gayle Corrigan will present her plan to restructure the fire department from the current four platoons to three at the Town Council meeting Monday (EGFD Restructuring Proposal 4/2018).

In a four-platoon system, firefighters typically work 10 hours on, 14 hours off, 10 hours on, 24 hours off, 14 hours on, 96 hours off.

Under Corrigan’s proposed three-platoon system, firefighters would work 24 hours on, 48 hours off. The plan calls for 30 firefighters – 8 plus 2 floaters per shift – down from the current 36 firefighters. She recommends laying off the extra 6 firefighters.

Corrigan recommends the Town Council adopt the reorganization but hold off implementation until after Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl rules on the town’s pending lawsuit against the firefighters on whether or not it has the right to reorganize the platoons without consent of the union. The town and the firefighters are in the middle of a three-year contract, from 2016 to 2019.

In her proposal, Corrigan suggests other possible cost-saving measures if the court rules against it. Among those suggestions would be to decrease the number of firefighters on overnight, a time when the number of incidents is lower.  Corrigan also suggests the possible return to a partial or largely volunteer fire service and subcontracting out EMS service.

Corrigan also says in her plan that the department needs a deputy chief – a position she has kept vacant since her arrival last June. She will recommend an interim deputy fire chief at the May 14 Town Council meeting.




 

 

 

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Robert Giglietti
Robert Giglietti
April 8, 2018 9:08 am

Have these people all lost their minds! Regressing to a volunteer fire department. Having fewer firefighters on duty at night. What in gods name is wrong with you? Changes come about because the past has failed. EG changed from volunteer to professional paid because volunteer could not longer provide adequate response coverage for the town. The current paid staff can barely provide adequate coverage 24/7 with the minimal number of personnel they have now. You people are supposed be professional administrators, get your heads out of your butts. If you think less firefighters being on duty at night is an acceptable practice, ask your neighbors to the south how they made out at their last three fatal night time fires. EG residences, Make A Stand against this nonsense. Do something to help protect your family members and your property before this inept, politically fueled administration kills you or your loved ones.

Allissa
Allissa
April 8, 2018 8:21 pm

Thank you so very much for posting these details as they will greatly impact our family who has served the department for 10 years.

Judy
Judy
April 9, 2018 4:26 pm

No more volunteer fire department! And no out-sourcing of EMT services. We need people who are totally familiar with the town layout and who have loyalty to EG.

gabi
gabi
April 9, 2018 10:24 pm

This lady is off her rocker! Lets see her get up in the middle of the night for free to drive the fire truck!!

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