COVENTRY, R.I. — RI firefighters have agreed to work without pay to keep their five fire stations from closing down.
Central Coventry Fire District said they just did not have enough income from tax dollars, forcing an imminent shutdown, according to NBC 10.
Officials announced the planned closures Friday, but hours later, firefighters voted to work despite likely not receiving any pay.
“It’s just in your blood when you’re a firefighter. It’s in your blood to do the job. I’d want to make sure someone was there for my family,” Firefighters’ Union President David Gorman said.
Taxpayers are still unclear as to how the financial flub occurred in the first place, but officials tell NBC 10 that their contingency plan was to originally have neighboring fire districts over Coventry’s calls.
Firefighters, however, say they are unsure how long they’ll continue to work without pay.
“At the end of the day, my guys need a paycheck,” Gorman said. “They need to provide for their families.”
Fire district officials say they will seek receivership while the firefighters continue to work for free.
Coventry town council president said that if the fire district finds receivership, it may not be allowed to use the town’s gas pumps to fill up, because the town may not get paid.