The Central Coventry - Alternate Fire/Rescue Plan

Due to Liquidation an Alternate Plan has been Established

Initially the elected Central Coventry Board of Directors was assigned by the court to produce an Alternate Plan. When they presented it to the Judge, they were told that they could not be involved in any Alternate plan once Liquidation had been court ordered.  But the research had been done.  That research was given to the Coventry Task Force, a group consisting of many Tax Payers, your Neighbors, who spent many months solidifying it. 

At the closed door Safety meetings held by Town Council and local legislators, Pat Morgan, representing the Tax Payers (and the Coventry Task Force) attempted to present this new plan which is to establish a new Fire Company with Rescue Services and it is ready to be put in place if a new charter is approved.  But the Town Council President –Cote and other Union backed legislators like Scott Guthrie refused to even let her speak, never mind review this plan when presented to them. 

That’s because what the Union wants is coming first and not the Needs and Safety of the People   

Here is the Alternate Plan and it’s Ready – But It needs Support and Vote by the Tax Payers.

To Learn More – Attend the Task Force Meeting – March 26, 6:30 at West Wood Estates.

A New Charter:

Upon  Liquidation - the Old Charter would be dissolved –and a new one would become effective.

Legislation has been submitted to the State two weeks ago to request a New Charter for Central Coventry. It is Pending -and would need Tax Payer Support and Voter approval and many Tax Payer phone calls to your legislators, (Tommasso, Raptakis) to push this through to vote for this Plan.   

Staffing:

The same number of Fire Fighters with the same certifications and higher skilled EMT Rescue personnel would be contracted with.  There would be 10 men on each shift round the clock and able to give mutual aid
There would be no overtime expenses

Fire Services:

A new Fire Company would be established staffing Pay On Call Fire Fighters, who are certified Fire Fighter Level 1 and Level 2 candidates just as the Central Coventry Fire Fighters are now.  New Fire Trucks will be leased to replace the old ones we have now, at $7000 monthly. Private funding has been secured for this Start up initiative to purchase Fire Gear and other required equipment. 

Rescue Services:

Outside EMT Services – 3 companies have offered their services to our town in the event of Liquidation.  They currently service other towns in RI and in MA.  All 3 companies have been providing these services to these towns for over 30 years  

They offer us 3 Brand New ALS (Advanced Life Support) Rescue Trucks with Paramedic and Cardiac EMT Specialists. They bill insurance companies for their services. The Cost of 3 brand new Rescues fully staffed,  24x7,  would cost Central Coventry Taxpayers only $900,000 per year instead of the $3 million that the current EMT Central Coventry Union contract  is costing now.  The rest of their income is derived from Insurance payments they collect. People receiving services that do not have health care are invoiced, and if unable to pay, these are not sent to a Collection agency just as CCFD does now.

Cost:

The Tax Payer's Alternate Plan would offer a Tax rate of  $1.45 per thousand for the residents of Central Coventry leaving all other districts alone. That's at least a 50% decrease in your Fire Taxes.

Savings of $1.05 per thousand and you could use it to pay any other debt or bills you incur.

This means Central Coventry lowers its Fire/Rescue Expenses by $2 million dollars annually. An entire Budget Analysis has been prepared by an Accountant and is ready for Tax Payer’s review. 

Here is the Town Council's plan:

Town President Cote, and Rep-Scott Guthrie and Sen-Lisa Tommasso are supporting that our Town be pushed into the State’s control under the Fiscal Stability Act  - . Read this article to learn more. http://www.muni-info.ri.gov/finances/  or  http://blogs.wpri.com/tag/fiscal-stability-act/

They want to treat us as if we are Central Falls.  That means that we are then under the State’s control, and this will overturn the Superior Court Judge's liquidation ruling, Overturn your Vote again, and we go back to where we started. Back to the Status quo and back into debt before the end of the Year.  Then their ultimate goal would be to organize a Municipal Fire company which meets all Municipal guidelines which Chief Frank Brown believes could take two years to organize

 Once the Municipal Fire Company is established- the best of all Union contracts- which Is the one Central Coventry has, will be offered to all fire fighters who currently do not have as lucrative of a contract.  Any concessions previous agreed upon to control spending in Anthony are gone.   This plan will eliminate all the Volunteers from Western Coventry  and Hopkins Hill.

The Average Cost of a Fire Fighter in Central Coventry is $107,000 annually.   Hiring all of Western Coventry's     15-20 volunteers means they will add, at least  $1,600,000 in salaries that didn't exist before.   

But you'll save $70,000 * 2 chiefs, (because those positions will be eliminated.) 

There will be over 86 paid firefighters who's salaries average $70,000 for Fire Fighter up to a Lieutenant earnings- of $140,000 thousand (both include overtime)  They get a 4% raise every year, an 8-10% longevity bonus paid annually, another bonus for having an EMT license,  7 weeks off every year. Post Health Care benefits and Pension Plans   costing tax payers millions. They also receive full Blue Cross /Health Mate health insurance where a Family plan costs them $160 per month. The Tax payers are also required to pay for all of their co-pays which cost $3000 per fire fighter annually.  Blue Cross is not auditing what they charge to their "Co Pay benefits card" like other Health Card companies require.  Anything they can buy at CVS is paid for by the Tax Payers. 

The Town Council plans to grow the number of Union members, and increase Taxes to cover their growing raises and benefits. They have no forecasted Tax Rate to offer you with their Plan

They have No idea what it will cost. But it will raise taxes, especially in Hopkins Hill and Western Coventry districts . 

Their Plan is to over (Tax) charge you for services that can be purchase for much less money.   

 All Union Supporters and all their comments are using "Scare tactics” to make our residents believe that Liquidation is not a good decision.  Why?  Because you would be  hiring their competition. Western Coventry, Bristol, Westerly and many, many more towns in RI – are totally volunteer organizations that have been supplying these services successfully for years.  Because the Court has ordered liquidation, the goal was to find a way to purchase these services within the revenue generated by the Approved Budget. We found the Best Services for the best Cost. 

This needs to be about the Safety of the People – Not about the UNION.

Listen Up TaxPayers !!  Visit  http://www.coventrycitizens.com/

You have the Chance to Vote now- You need to make a phone call to Vote.  Your local legislators want to take your Vote away by putting our town into state control under the Fiscal Stabilty Act - Call the Governor's office 401-222-2080

Tell him that you want him to oppose and veto this Fiscal Stability Act for fire companies.  You don’t want Coventry to fall into this Fiscal Stability Act.  You do no not want our town to become Central Falls.  You need to learn more about the Alternate Plan.   

Tell them you should have a Voice in choosing the type of Fire and Rescue Services that you have to pay for.  Otherwise our Town council, and Union members and Union supporting legislators are just going to force their decisions upon you and you won’t get a VOTE.  

Right now - It is the Only Vote you are going to get.   You can make a difference. 

Make it now.  One Phone Call.  Vote. Call the Governor...    401-222-2080