PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Providence public safety commissioner has rejected a proposal of shifting firefighters to EMS work in an effort to keep up with the city’s rising demand for ambulance service.
Commissioner Steven Pare wrote a letter to North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi saying that the fire hazards in the city are too great to cut-back on firefighting, according to the Associated Press.
Pare said that a large number of Providence homes were built before modern fire codes and often store flammable products like liquefied gas.
Lombardi had previously suggested that the firefighting force be increased so that some crew members could be moved onto emergency medical duties and rely less on surrounding communities for mutual aid.