I am Steve Fay and I am seeking a position on the Central Coventry Fire District Board of Directors. . I have a total of 38 years in the Fire Service and am a Firefighter with the City of Warwick and have been employed there for the past 28 years. I am currently the Captain of Ladder Company # 1. In addition to that, I also have 20 years with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue’s Massachusetts Task Force # 1 as a Heavy Equipment and Rigging Specialist (HERS).This is a voluntary program and only compensation is received upon deployed Presidential disaster declarations or special jurisdictional requests. I also hold Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration and Fire Science.
A question has been asked with regard to funding my campaign. Funding has come from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. I have received checks and I also own a small (1 Man) Crane Company so I have used my own capital. With regard to the mailing, I was a previous member of Council # 94. (30 years ago I worked for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation). I also have a withdrawal card from the Teamsters (Local #251) and I am presently a member of The International Association of Firefighters (Local #2748). That being said a local unionized printer is used as to do otherwise is hypercritical. The permit number and printer’s information will confirm all this.
If I am subject to slander or defamation attacks I will respond once but understand I will not argue with fools. There is much more urgent issues to address.
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Yesterday afternoon I met with Attorney Richard Land (Special Master) who has been the court appointed receiver. He went over the subject matter and where we stand as a district. The most important aspect to all this is to create a workable and acceptable budget. If that cannot be attained then the district will be dissolved. There are those who want the Central Coventry Fire District dissolved. Those that do, have personal interests and financial gain should it occur. They have no regard for our community and quite honestly for human life.
How does this affect us? First and foremost, over 50% of the Fire and Rescue force in this town will be eliminated. Second, the liability to us will be in the realm of $21,289,092.28. The figure is derived as follows:
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Personnel $11,727,526.78 Leases $454918.00 Admin. $6647.50 MERS $6,000,000.00 Accrued Sick, Holiday and Comp, Time $900,000.00 Pre-Petition Debt $2,2000,000.00
Total $21,289,092.28
The number is still fluid because daily operations change the monetary value. (Bills are paid and revenue is collected). Third, the ability of each and every one of us to secure equity from our homes or to sell our property will be affected. Fourth, homeowners and commercial lines of insurance will sky rocket and that is if the carrier wants to renew their contract with the current owners. For business owners call
Factory Mutual Insurance (F M Global) 270 Central Avenue Johnston, RI 02919-4949 Phone: +1 (1) 401 275 3000
Talk to a risk specialist and they will explain the particulars. If you have warehoused goods you are not going to like what you hear. Homeowners, request from your carrier (not your agent) the public protection classification for your address. Then request what it will be if there is no coverage.
For those who think this is all scare tactics they are kidding themselves. Please don’t fall for it. Go back to the top this is fact. The solution is to keep the district operating with the employees we have for who else knows the district? Concerns are: Response routes as well as, the familiarity with those who have to unfortunately but routinely utilize the EMS (Rescue) service. Think about being trapped in an inoperative elevator and no one is coming oh and one of the occupants is claustrophobic. This is real life, real instances, and real issues to ponder.
We can make this work affordably. I ask you for consideration but please vote on fact and not emotion. For further information:
http://www.sjcorio.com/matters/current_matters/ccfd/documents_index.htm
If I am elected, we need to correct the problem for the short term. Once stable, a study and a plan needs to be drafted to begin the process to turn the Fire District over to the Town so we have ONE TOWN, ONE CHIEF, and ONE DEPARTMENT. Once that goal is successful I will proudly dissolve my position and every other useless administrative and replicative position in all the districts!
Thank you,
Stephen P. Fay
401 486 9107
