PROVIDENCE — A real disaster is facing Sunday’s mock disaster drill for the state, now that firefighters from 10 communities have dropped out because the Providence firefighters union is planning to picket.

Whether the drill can be saved intact — or drastically scaled down or canceled — will be determined today, after behind-the-scenes discussions yesterday among the Providence fire chief, the Providence union leaders, and the state Association of Fire Fighters.

The $50,000 homeland security drill of a terrorist attack on the Rhode Island Convention Center is intended to train hundreds of firefighters, police officers, medical workers, and military officials on how to save lives after a chemical explosion at a crowded event.

But firefighters from surrounding cities and towns, and their specialized teams for decontamination and hazardous materials, said they won’t participate if the Providence union holds its picket over disability benefits. And by contract, the fire chiefs can’t order their firefighters to cross a picket line in another city, unless there’s an emergency.

That’ll leave just a few Providence firefighters, who will only be there because their chief is ordering them to show up.

As nearly 200 other firefighters backed out and other participants wavered yesterday, Providence Fire Chief George S. Farrell and the union leaders were in talks. “At this point everyone’s goal is for this drill to go on as planned,” Farrell said. “We need to mobilize all of the parties as quickly as possible.”

Farrell said there was still time for the firefighters to reconsider. Union president Paul A. Doughty declined comment.

The union was seeking attention for getting disability benefits for firefighters with cancer.

And they got it. They lost yesterday in the court of public opinion and talk radio. Many condemned the firefighters union for threatening to picket a public-safety drill — and possibly jeopardize future federal grants.

The mayor called the union leaders “reckless.” The governor said the picket was “unconscionable.” The chairman of the Convention Center Authority called for common sense. The state GOP chairman urged the firefighters to buck their union leadership and go to the drill. “Wasting this opportunity for important training and squandering another $50,000 of taxpayer money does not help the cause of the hard-working firefighter,” said chairman Giovanni Cicione.

Meanwhile, 200 volunteer “victims” are still signed up for the drill, although the RIPTA buses to carry them to hospitals may not be there because some of the workers are in unions, said Leo Messier, head of the Providence Emergency Management Agency.

But the state and local police are still involved. So are the local hospitals. And the Rhode Island National Guard’s 13th Civil Support Team, which aids local authorities in dealing with chemical, biological, and radiological hazards, is ready to go.

“Training is paramount to our readiness and our ability to respond to state emergencies,” said Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Denis Riel. “To bow out of this important training opportunity, given the amount of planning and preparation the 13th CST has devoted to this exercise, would constitute a gross waste of military resources and would be contrary to our core values of selfless service.”

Until now, firefighters were coming from East Providence, Coventry, Newport, North Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Warwick, West Warwick and Johnston. Now, the only participants are a handful of Providence firefighters. Yesterday, eight firefighters received written orders to work at the drill on overtime, while the other on-duty firefighters will be expected to attend, Dillon said. This is a far cry from the 80 Providence firefighters who were supposed to be involved.

“I think Local 799’s decision to picket a statewide emergency drill is outrageous and irresponsible,” said Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline. “These drills are very important to the citizens of our city and state, and they ensure our responders are trained and prepared.”

Governor Carcieri urged the Providence firefighters to participate. “Regardless of their disagreement with the city of Providence, this union has no right to hold hostage the state’s ability to protect Rhode Islanders from the threat of terrorism,” Carcieri said. “While I hold courageous work done by all firefighters in the highest regard, and while I respect their right to bargain collectively, their decision to picket this exercise is wrong. One local contract dispute cannot be allowed to trump the security of the homeland.”

The demonstration is the latest in a contract dispute between the Providence firefighters union and Cicilline’s administration, where years of contract issues have ended up in arbitration. An arbitrator’s decision of 2004-05 contract is expected within weeks.

Last year, an arbitrator awarded the firefighters union a 9.6-percent raise over 2001-04, with retroactive pay. Unlike other city unions, firefighters don’t contribute to their health coverage. The average base pay for firefighters was raised to $47,268, but with longevity, overtime, and other benefits, Providence firefighters earn more.

Last year, 27 of about 410 union firefighters made more than $100,000, and 301 others earned between $70,000 and $99,000, including base pay, longevity, overtime, call-back hours, and holiday pay, according to city financial records. None earned less than $54,000. That doesn’t include retroactive pay for the 2001-04 arbitration decision, which ranged from about $4,800 to $30,000 more per firefighter.

The highest paid person was union executive board member Lt. Zachariah Kenyon, who earned a total of $144,583 last year, according to city records. That does not include an additional $30,642 in retroactive pay, or his pay for serving on the union board, according to city records. Kenyon made more than all of the captains and chiefs, including Chief Farrell, who is paid $125,000.

Kenyon represents the rescue service, where some of the firefighters earn the most. Doughty said that’s because they are often required to work overtime on the ambulances. Part of the negotiations is the need for more ambulances to handle an increasing number of calls. The department added a sixth rescue years ago to keep up, but it costs $660,000 a year in overtime to run.

Staffing, sharing the costs of health benefits, and pension issues have been debates for years. The disability pension for firefighters with cancer is the latest hitch.

The union wants disability pensions of 66 2/3 percent salary, tax-free, for firefighters with cancer, instead of the ordinary disability pension of 45 percent of salary, taxable. Farrell and Cicilline were in talks all summer about the issue. Last month, without the chief’s knowledge, the union asked City Councilman Miguel Luna to submit an ordinance to make cancer a presumptive disability.

Doughty said the union was tired of waiting.

They wanted to make the issue public. They called for a demonstration.

amilkovi@projo.com