PROVIDENCE -- The fire marshal's office would expand under the proposed $2.8-billion state budget hashed out by General Assembly leaders, but by fewer people than Governor Carcieri had recommended.
The budget, endorsed last week by the House Finance Committee, would add six additional full-time positions in the fire marshal's office.
The governor had recommended 10 1/2 new full-time positions in the office, at a cost of $458,066 in the fiscal year that begins July 1, said Carcieri's spokesman, Jeff Neal.
"The governor still supports increasing the numbers at the fire marshal's office by 10 1/2 positions," Neal said yesterday.
The new slots would be in addition to new people hired to fill existing vacancies on the marshal's staff, Neal said.
The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on the budget proposal on Friday.
The governor's original spending plan -- drafted before the Feb. 20 fire at The Station nightclub killed 100 people -- recommended $1.62 million for the fire marshal in 2004, a reduction of $125,000 in state spending for the office. The governor's original budget would have maintained the marshal's staff at 21 positions.
Carcieri revised his recommendation for the fire marshal earlier this month, Neal said.
Rep. Peter Ginaitt, D-Warwick, was a co-chairman of a special legislative commission that developed new fire safety legislation after The Station disaster. He said yesterday that he will continue to push for at least 10 new positions.
"I don't know where the budget people came up with six," he said. "I guess they thought it was an appropriate compromise. Personally, I'd rather see 10. We have hundreds and hundreds of places that need to be inspected, and not only nightclubs."
The new fire safety legislation will increase the power and the duties of inspectors, adding requirements for late-night inspections when nightclubs are busy, for example. It could be signed into law as soon as this week.
"I'm going to get a sense of where that number six came from, and if it's negotiable," Ginaitt said.
The other co-chair of the special commission, Sen. John Celona, D-North Providence, said yesterday: "We wanted 10 -- we wanted as many as possible -- but I'm cognizant of the fact that we're trying to live within a budget that is severely restrained."
He promised to push for more inspectors in the next budget cycle.
Fire Marshal Irving J. Owens told the Senate Finance Committee in March that he wants to eventually add 20 to 25 full-time positions, and suggested increasing the size of the office by 10 new slots per year.
