North Kingstown Firefighters - Current News

NK FIREFIGHTERS SHAVE THEIR HEADS FOR ST. BALDRICKS.

2012-02-14T09:26:00.000-05:00

We have answered the call to be heroes! We've teamed up to have our heads shaved AGAIN! – to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer, but more importantly, to raise money to find cures.Last year we raised almost two thousand dollars.

Please support us with a donation to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. This volunteer-driven charity funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.

Your gift will give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers. So when we ask for your support, we're really asking you to support these kids. Thank you!

http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/74924/2012

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

2012-02-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

We encourage people who visit our site and are also interested in the topics concerning the North Kingstown Fire Department to follow us on Facebook. Click on the Facebook icon on our site to join the group.

North East Independant Article

2012-02-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

A very well written article by the North East Independent:

http://www.neindependent.com/articles/2012/02/02/local/doc4f2ac65fb2460625137096.txt

24-Hour Shift For Firefighters Passes 3-2

2012-02-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

North Kingstown Patch Article. Written by Samantha Turner:

http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/24-hour-shift-for-firefighters-passes-3-2

Residents, firefighters and their families took to the microphone for 40 minutes Monday night, pleading their case against 24-hour-long shifts for the North Kingstown Fire Department. In the end, the North Kingstown Town Council narrowly approved the change to town law with a 3-2 vote – Democrats Michael Bestwick and Charles Brennan opposing.
The measure reduces the North Kingstown Fire Department from four platoons to three and moves firefighters from working 10- and 14-hour shifts to 24-hour shifts. The new shift changes will result in 56-hour work weeks and add 14 hours to firefighters’ weekly schedule. Originally, the town offered no compensation for these additional hours but modifications to the ordinance now include a 10 percent increase to annual pay.
“We have constructed a structure which is financially unsound and unsustainable,” said Council Member Charles Stamm, who spoke of the impacts dwindling state aid and increasing expenses have had on the town’s budget. “This proposal gives us an opportunity for significant savings going ahead.”
According to the town, North Kingstown lost $2.1 million in state aid alone for this year and anticipates spending upwards of $721,000 from its general fund balance to level this year’s budget. For next year’s budget, Town Manager Michael Embury is projecting a $1.2 million shortfall.
The language in the amended ordinance claims the town can save $1.2 million in savings in the first year the new shift structure is implemented. The ordinance also says that “the same savings, efficiencies and level of protection to the town” could only be attained if the fire department switches from all-professional to a volunteer department with call persons and private contractors.
Members of the North Kingstown Fire Department argued that the burden of balancing the town’s budget should not fall upon the backs of its firefighters and their families. Under the new shift structure, firefighters will work a 24-hour shift (10-hour on-duty day shift followed by a 14-hour on-duty night tour) followed by 48 hours off.
“This mandated 56-hour work week will not only affect 64 firefighters,” said Justin Puckett, member of the North Kingstown Fire Department. “This will leave 90 or so kids wishing they had more time with dad.”
According to Town Council Member Carol Hueston, the town and Lcoal 1651 have met multiple times since October to hammer out a contract. In the latest meeting, the town offered the department a 20 percent salary increase and 20 percent pension increase for the 24-hour shifts, along with 17 full weekends off each year and at least one weekend day off each week. The union, Hueston says, rejected the offer.
The changes will take effect March 1 of this year as the town and fire union – Local 1651 – continue arbitration for the second year in a row. Last year, the town’s proposal to switch the fire department to the 24-hour shift was shot down by the arbitration board.
According to Union President Ray Furtado, this move by the council circumvents the collective bargaining process and violates state law. The union filed an unfair labor charge with the state back in December, Furtado says. Though Furtado says the union is “willing to negotiate” with the town, the battle may very well be on its way to court.
“If you continue down this path of recklessness you’re going to leave us no alternative but to fight this until the last breath is taken,” said Furtado during Monday night’s public hearing.
The town is already embroiled in a legal battle with the North Kingstown School Department over a possible $1.2 million revenue shortfall in the school department. Attorney Dan Kinder, a labor lawyer, is arguing the case for the town and, according to figures from one North Kingstown resident, has racked up substantial billable hours with the town.
Chris Demers, a resident of Old Baptist Road, presented the council with a handout showing that the Town of North Kingstown has made $1.1 million in payments to Kinder and his associates. Demers urged the town to not spend more taxpayers’ money on labor lawyers.
“It greatly disturbs me that this council won’t think twice about paying the lawyers for hours billed but cries poverty when it come time to paying its own employees,” said Demers during public comment. “Instead, you aim to balance your mismanaged budget on the backs of working families.”
“The damages of this if awarded after legal fees will leave a crater where the undesignated fund balance is right now,” said Furtado.

Overnight Dumpster Fire At Job Lot Warehouse Brings NK, EG Responders

2012-01-25T18:02:00.000-05:00

From the North Kingstown Patch. Author Samantha Turner:

North Kingstown Firefighters responded to a Job Lot warehouse at 360 Callahan Road in the Quonset Business Park at about 7:33 p.m. Tuesday night for a fire in a dumpster that filled the building with smoke.
The fire, which began in an outside dumpster connected via a compactor to the rest of the building, was extinquished by 9:49 p.m., said North Kingstown Fire Chief Fenwick Gardiner Jr.
A large volume of smoke from the fire filled the warehouse, Gardiner said, but fire crews responded quickly enough to prevent fire damage to the interior. Sprinklers in the building set up at the warehouse opening for the dumpster kept the fire in check until firefighters arrived to put out the flames.
Responding crews included a North Kingstown Fire Department ladder truck, four engines and two rescues, as well as a ladder truck and engine from East Greenwich offering mutual aid, he said.
"The crews did a good job," Gardiner said. He noted there was a minor inconvenience inside the building due to the smoke, which was cleared in time to prevent damage to the warehouse stock. There was also some water on the floor of the building from efforts to extinquish the fire, he said.

North Kingstown Fire Department Receives $500K+ for Communications Upgrades.

2012-01-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

From the North Kingstown Patch:Author Samantha Turner

Public safety in North Kingstown just got a half-million-dollar boost courtesy of the federal government. U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and James Langevin announced that the North Kingstown Fire Department is to receive $577,631 in federal grants.
The federal funds will go toward upgrading the department's communications systems and equipment, purchasing portable radios for the firetrucks and in-car repeaters. According to Fire Chief Fenwick Gardiner Jr., these repeaters will help boost signal from the trucks' portable radios.
"There are areas in town that are difficult communications wise," said Gardiner "Inside buildings are another link in the length of the chain."
According to Gardiner large buildings like the high school and Toray Plastics have posed problems for communications, with concrete and other materials compromising signals exiting the building.
"It is a very big deal in terms of safety because communication is key," said Gardiner.
The upgrades will also allow the department to switch from analog to the statewide 800 MHz radio system, enhancing its communications interoperability.
Gardiner praised the department's grant writers for securing these comptetitive grants. Woonsocket was the only other Rhode Island municipality to receive the grant, nabbing $299,250 to train firefighters and paramedics to more effectively respond to emergency situations. The grant – Assistance to Firefighters Grants – were made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.
“Our firefighters are often taking risks to protect us and keep our families and neighborhoods safe,” said Senator Whitehouse. “These grants will help provide critical equipment upgrades and necessary training to our fire departments, giving them the tools they need to effectively respond to emergencies.”

Town Council Meeting on 1/23/12.

2012-01-22T19:21:00.001-05:00

The NK Town Council agenda for tommorow night DOES NOT list the public hearing on the 56-hour work week ordinance for firefighter shift schedules. We wanted to pass this on for all of you that were planning on attending expecting a public hearing, and on behalf of your NK firefighters We thank you for your overwhelming and continued support.

Town Council Meeting on 1/23/12

2012-01-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

ADDED

2012-01-08T00:10:00.000-05:00

NKFFA has added NetworkedBlogs by NINVA to create a more streamlined flow of content on both our social site and website. You can check out there site here
http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/nkffa-blog

NK PATCH ARTICLE: Town Council postpones hearing on NKFD Restructuring.

2012-01-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/council-postpones-hearing-on-fire-department-restructuring

STATS:

2012-01-04T10:52:00.000-05:00

NK Firefighters responded to 402 calls during the month of December. They responded to a total of 4761 calls for 2011.

PROVIDENCE JOURNAL ARTICLE

2012-01-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2011/12/do-not-publish-6.html#.TwRvVjVSQuM

Working Fire:

2011-12-31T15:16:00.001-05:00

WORKING FIRE: NKFD is working a fire on Wickford Point Road at this time.

Working Fire

2011-12-31T09:11:00.001-05:00

Wendy's on Frenchtown Road @ around 9 am.

STATS

2011-12-30T20:49:00.002-05:00

Late Entry: North Kingstown firefighters responded to 321 incidents during the month of November.

WOW STAT

2011-12-30T20:07:00.001-05:00

NKFFA.ORG has over 1500 page hits in the past three days alone. That's a 212% increase. We'd like to thank all these visitors for viewing our site.

North East Article: Council seeks law to alter schedules of NK firefighters.

2011-12-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

http://www.neindependent.com/articles/2011/12/29/local/doc4efc8bac6bf3a640565015.txt

North Kingstown Patch Article: Reader Roundup: "Vote affects more than town budget"

2011-12-29T16:48:00.001-05:00

http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/reader-roundup-vote-affects-more-than-town-budget

NK PATCH POSTS POLL

2011-12-28T22:59:00.001-05:00

SHOULD FIREFIGHTERS WORK 24 HOUR SHIFTS?

http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/poll-should-firefighters-work-24-hour-shifts

Landmark Residential Fire Study Shows How Crew Sizes and Arrival Times Influence Saving Lives and Property

2011-12-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

Please click on the link below for more info and watch the video below.

http://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/residential-fire-report_042810.cfm#.TvPm6dy92QE.facebook

http://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/residential-fire-report_042810.cfm#.TvPm6dy92QE.facebook

North Kingstown Patch Article:Council to Consider 24-Hour Shifts for Firefighters

2011-12-22T20:25:00.001-05:00

http://northkingstown.patch.com/articles/council-to-consider-24-hour-shifts-for-firefighters

People Die- Firefighting Stories.

2011-12-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

Stats:

2011-10-18T20:04:00.000-04:00

North Kingstown firefighters responded to 438 incidents during the month of September.

Working Fire @ Electric Boat

2011-09-04T11:26:00.001-04:00

09/02/11 Members of NKFD's A platoon had a working fire at Electric Boat. They were assisted by East Greenwich, Warwick, Exeter, Narragansett and Jamestown Fire. North Kingstown Firefighters needed to be decontaminated after the incident utilizing the department's Mobile Decon Trailer.

Stats:

2011-09-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

North Kingstown Firefighters responded to 508 incidents during the month of August.

Working Fire @ 27 Navy Drive.

2011-08-30T20:21:00.000-04:00

Members of NKFD's C Platoon had a working fire on 8_29_11 on Navy Drive. In all 9 people were injured. Firefighting efforts were assisted by East Greenwich FD. EMS assistance by Exeter, East Greenwich, and Warwick Fire. Mutual aid provided by Warwick and Jamestown. Listen to the Audio Feed on our archived incidents page. Dead air has been removed for quicker run time.

Stats:

2011-08-16T19:19:00.000-04:00

The North Kingstown Fire Department responded to 373 calls during the month of July.

Chowder & Clam Cakes (and burgers & dogs)

2011-08-16T16:39:00.000-04:00

NKFFA Retirees Sponsor:

Time	Friday, August 26 · 4:00pm - 8:00pm

Location	Allens Harbor 20 Bruce Boyer Street North Kingstown, RI



More Info	Open to the public!!! Family Friendly!!! Children under 10 eat FREE Chowder & Clam Cakes, Burgers & Dogs Soda, Water and pot-lucked sides Tickets $10 To purchase call a member of: NK Firefighters Retirees Exec Board: Pres. Bill Willett c-225-4577 V-Pres Kenny Allen c-255-4434 Sec/Treas. Janet Caldwell c-255-5483 or Retiree Liason Mike "Sled" Gledhill c-413-9810 or email me at gledhillsled@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173600949379172

Tunnel to Towers Run

2011-07-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

The North Kingstown North Kingstown Firefighters Association along with the Rhode Island Blue Star Moms are pleased to host the Tunnel to Towers Run on September 17th, 2011. Please visit our Tunnel to Towers Page.

Video information can be found on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TunnelToTowers

For additional information via email, please write to:nkfd.tunnel2tower.run@gmail.com

NKFFA Raises over $7K in two days for MDA

2011-07-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

The North Kingstown Firefighters would like to thank all those who donated to the MDA "Fill the Boot" drive this past weekend. Your generous contributions helped raise over $7000 dollars to help find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. Please watch the "Jerry's Kids" telethon on September 4th, 2011 and make a donation at www.mda.org

Live Scanner Feed Online

2011-07-07T08:05:00.001-04:00

The live scanner feed is back online. Head over to the Live Scanner page today.

NKFFA AND MDA

2011-07-07T07:37:00.000-04:00

The North Kingstown Firefighters will be out in full force on Saturday, July 8th and Sunday July 9th asking passing motorists to "fill the boot". 100% of all the money collected helps support MDA. You can find more information at: http://www.mda.org/

Live Feed Difficulties

2011-06-23T20:29:00.000-04:00

NKFFA is currently experiencing some difficulties with the scanner live feed. We are working on the problems and will have it operating again soon.

MDA Fill The Boot

2011-06-22T14:14:00.000-04:00

Ladies Auxiliary Members: MDA Boot Drive: July 9+10 (art festival weekend)- need help in many different ways such as collections, drink distribution, and help with the breakfast. Whatever help you can give would be great. Please contact Lorrie Field for more information. There will also be Tshirts available for purchase for $20.

2011 NKFFA Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament

2011-06-21T14:34:00.000-04:00

When: August 1, 2011

Where: Laurel Lane Country Club

309 Laurel Lane
West Kingston, RI 02892

Time: 8:30 am Registration: 8:00 am

Price: $100.00 per golfer or $400.00 per foursome

Includes 18 holes, cart, breakfast, lunch, steak dinner

Format: Shotgun Scramble

Prizes: 1^st Place, Longest Drive, Closest to Pin, Putting Contest, 50/50 Raffle

Registration Form
Sponsor Form
Sponsorship Levels
Tournament Flyer

Any questions please contact:
Mike Gledhill @ 413-9810
Craig Gardiner @ 265-2294

New Google Calendar added to NKFFA.org

2011-06-18T23:58:00.000-04:00

The Calendar Page has been updated with a new Google Calendar. Members can view shift schedules, meeting dates, and other important events. We will do our best to keep this calendar updated as often as possible. Please email a web team member to post an event on the calendar

New Audio Added

2011-06-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

Three new audio files have been added to the Archived Incidents Page. Fires on Saratoga Road, Brookside Drive, and a fire at Casey Farm on Boston Neck Road have been updated. Check out the Archived Incidents" page above to listen to a sample of past events.

The New NKFFA.ORG

2011-06-17T13:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new and improved NKFFA.org. Our site has been revamped and streamlined while also making way for new pages and information. Please stay tuned as the site will still undergo further maintenance and new additions. Thanks! NKFFA Website Team.

New Blog Added to NKFFA.org

2011-06-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

A new blog has been added to our site to help stream information more rapidly. Check back soon for tons of great information coming your way!

The Blog can also be found at http://nkffa.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to the RSS feed, post feeds to Facebook, leave comments, or check us out on your mobile device.

Not sure what an RSS feed is? Check it out on Wikipedia
http://rss-tutorial.com/rss-how-to-subscribe-to-feeds.htm