Johnston Adds 11 Firefighters to Roster

The Johnston Fire Department has added 11 probationary firefighters to its roster.

  The Johnston Fire Department has 11 new faces this week following a ceremony over the weekend. According to ABC6, the department has just onboarded 11 new probationry firefighters this past Saturday. The 11 trainees started their first day on Monday.  While the Johnston Fire Department is growing, a neighboring community is experiencing a very different scenario with its fire department. On Friday, Coventry closed three of its five Central Coventry fire stations after a decision was made to liquidate the fire district. "In Johnston fortunately, we have a mayor who supports the fire service, and we'll be able to survive," Johnston Fire Chief Timothy McLaughlin said. 

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Mayor Stands Firm on Mutual-Aid Despite Plan to Reduce Calls

Despite a pilot program intended to reduce the burden on emergency calls in Providence, Mayor Polisena said it will not change his decision to deny Mutual Aid to the city.

Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena said a proposal to reduce the burden on ambulances will not sway his decision to deny Providence Mutual Aid, reports the Johnston Sunrise.    Earlier this month, a team of Rhode Island legislators, health care professionals, emergency responders discussed a pilot program that would divert people with behavioral, alcohol or substance abuse issues away from emergency rooms and into more appropriate places for treatment.  The Sobering Treatment Opportunity Program, or STOP, is intended to alleviate emergency rooms from repeat patients. The proposal calls for transitional housing for up to 20 individuals as well as employment assistance and connections to sobriety programs and health care. According to a …

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Johnston FD Shares Christmas Tree Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

Follow these tips to keep your home or business — and loved ones — safe this year.

  If you're planning to have a live tree for this year's holiday season, be sure to review this safety advice provided by the Johnston Fire Department. Fire Chief Timothy McLaughlin noted that, while decorating one's home and business is a "long-standing tradition, these same decorations may increase [peoples'] chances of fires." McLaughlin provided the list of safety tips published by the U.S. Fire Administration, including: And, whether it's the holiday season or not, McLaughlin urged residents and business owners to have a "comprehensive fire protection plan" as recommended by the USFA, which includes smoke and fire detectors, sprinklers in homes and businesses, and an escape plan.

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Johnston Firefighters Hold Drive to 'Fill the Rescue'

Members of the Johnston Fire Department highlighted their Toys for Tots effort by bringing a rescue truck to the Ocean State Job Lot on Saturday.

  As they continue their participation in the annual Toys for Tots campaign, members of the Johnston Fire Department visited the Ocean State Job Lot on Hartford Avenue on Saturday for their "Fill the Rescue" drive. Rescue Capt. Cherra Wheeler and Lt. Ryan Elmasian staffed a rescue truck, festooned with a Toys for Tots banner, and collected donations from shoppers and residents. Jon Pistacchio, Vice President of IAFF 1950 Johnston Firefighters, said in a text message on Saturday that "considering the [snowy] weather, it went very well." The local department — which includes four stations around Johnston — is scheduled to continue its part of the Toys for Tots Drive through Dec. 19. "With [Saturday's collection] and the donations that have …

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Johnston Firefighters Donate 20 Baskets to Local Families [VIDEO]

This year's Thanksgiving baskets also included gift cards to Stop & Shop, according to Rescue Capt. Cherra Wheeler.

  In coordination with the Johnston School Department, members of the Johnston Fire Department distributed 20 Thanksgiving baskets for local families this week. School representatives met at fire headquarters on Monday morning to pick up some of the baskets, and Rescue Capt. Cherra Wheeler delivered several to Winsor Hill Elementary School. Wheeler describes the work that went into this year's food drive at the JFD in the accompanying video [running time: 2:16], and Winsor Hill teacher Dina Needham — who coordinates the school's year-round food pantry — speaks about the help provided by the local firefighters.

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Delivering Hope to Local Families

Members of the Johnston Fire Department presented Thanksgiving baskets to local schools on Monday.

  Crew members from the Johnston Fire Department presented 20 Thanksgiving baskets to representatives of local schools on Monday morning. Rescue Capt. Cherra Wheeler explained 2012 was the best year so far of the department's annual drive, which benefits local families in need. We'll post a video from today's event over the next couple of days on JohnstonPatch — want to know when the video gets posted? Sign up for our newsletter and get an alert sent to your Inbox or smartphone.

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Johnston Firefighters Show Who 'Cares Enough to Wear Pink' [VIDEO]

Rhode Island Pink Heals visited Johnston Fire Department Headquarters on Oct. 23.

  RI Pink Heals, the local chapter of a national cancer awareness organization featuring trademark pink rescue vehicles, made a stop at the Johnston Fire Department on Oct. 23 as part of its third annual "Cares Enough to Wear Pink" tour. Ted Dion, president of the chapter, explained that this year's effort is dedicated to Jenna Jacques, a young girl who died in July following a battle with cancer. The accompanying video [running time: 3:07] includes footage of today's event, as well as an interview with IAFF Local 1950 Vice President Jon Pistacchio, who speaks about the coordination of the visit and the need for fundraising efforts like Pink Heals.

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Joseph Hutnak

11:53 pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I received the following Facebook message from Team Jenna, and just wanted to share it: "Bravo! What an amazing job you did for getting it right!! Thank you so much for doing this. My daughter has an amazing presence in us. I'm gonna admit, I cried. Joe you did such a beautiful thing thank you so much!!"   more ›

RI Firefighters Who "Care Enough to Wear Pink" Visit Johnston

The third annual "Cares Enough to Wear Pink" campaign is a coordination between the RI chapter of Pink Heals and firefighters across Rhode Island.

  The RI Pink Heals has once again teamed up with firefighters throughout the State of Rhode Island to wear pink tee shirts while on duty to support the women of RI with all types of cancer. The shirts are pink because it is the color of women, not the color of the disease. The shirts are being worn by all of the participating fire departments from Oct. 21-28, 2012. This year, the shirts also have the name "Jenna" on the left sleeve to remember Jenna Jacques, who passed away on July 6, 2012, from brain cancer. Earlier this year, ACI Customs of Johnston and RI Pink Heals teamed up for a benefit bike run and car show in Jenna's honor, and Pink Heals has named its rescue truck after her. Wednesday, Oct. 24, would have been Jenna's 10th …

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Read These Fire Safety Tips — and Share Yours

October is Fire Prevention Month. Talk to your family about how to prevent a devastating fire in your own home — and share your ideas with our readers.

  The entire month of October is dedicated to National Fire Safety and Prevention — which is a perfect opportunity to talk to your family about fire safety. Johnston Firefighters Local 1950 has this web page that's full of downloadabl tips about everything from responding to fires to preparing the kids for Halloween. Everyone knows the stop, drop, and roll, but there are many other ways to prevent a fire in your home. Here are five tips recommended by the CDC: For more fire safety tips and facts, visit the National Fire Protection Association page. JohnstonPatch Asks You: What is the most important thing you've taught your family about fire safety? Share it in the comments below.

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Week in Review

Top Stories for July 30 — Aug. 3

Here are the stories that got the most clicks on JohnstonPatch.

  July 30: NBC10: Providence Man Killed at Johnston Work Site On Monday, we picked up the story of a Providence resident who died after hitting a live electrical line with a metal tree-trimmer. July 31: [VIDEO] No More Goose on the Loose  Reader Angela Vescera posted this comment on our video about Parks and Rec staffers installing a new fence at Memorial Park to corral the geese there: "Finally! Thank you. The geese were a health hazard to the children trying to play there." Aug. 1: Police ID Woman Found in Cranston Pond CranstonPatch reported that police there identified the driver found inside her car, which had been submerged in a pond behind the Plainfield Pike WalMart, as a Johnston resident. Aug. 2: [VIDEO] Two Johnston Teams Headed…

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