08:44 AM EDT on Friday, June 24, 2005

BY ELIZABETH GUDRAIS
Journal Staff Writer

WARWICK -- There's just something about suspenders and fireproof pants.

For the fourth year in a row, firefighters took it all -- or almost all -- off before an adoring crowd, competing to appear in a calendar to benefit charity.

This year, for the first time, the calendar's organizers expanded the contest beyond Providence, opening it to departments statewide.

And the firefighters responded, 45 of them. They came from the cities of Central Falls, Warwick and Cranston. They came from the towns of Johnston, Smithfield, Barrington, West Warwick, Coventry and Exeter. They came from the villages of Hopkins Mills and Lime Rock.

At Boston Billiard Club on Route 5 last night, the music was high in adrenaline, with a healthy dose of innuendo: Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City"; AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long"; Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Taking the runway, the firefighters demonstrated their best swaggers, struts and pelvic thrusts, provoking squeals of adulation. They shucked their shirts to reveal overdeveloped pectoral muscles, flushed red from shots of liquid courage consumed in a back room beforehand. From some, a distinct scent of baby oil emanated.

Many threw props, such as plastic fire hats and flowers, into the all-female crowd. East Providence Firefighter Peter Gendreau, 34, tossed Twizzlers. After removing his shirt, Narragansett Firefighter Joe Volpe squirted himself with a spray bottle of water.

More than one firefighter wore boxer shorts screen-printed with a flame design. But only one, East Providence Firefighter Jason Alves, 33, removed those shorts to reveal a black satin bikini underneath.

"My only special talent is being the best father to the most perfect son in the world, and never letting him down," Alves wrote on his audition questionnaire.

Questionnaire answers ranged from sweet and shy -- Smithfield fire Capt. Jeff Muto, 48, wrote that his daughters, ages 21 and 23, "would be shocked to hear I tried out for a calendar" -- to scandalous: Pawtucket fire Lt. Jeffrey T. Johnson, asked whether he had a second job, checked yes and filled in the blank next to it, "Making love."

The 12 judges, mostly local media figures, ranked each contestant on a scale of 1 to 10 in three categories: face, body and charisma. There was also a line for comments.

Journal photo / Frieda Squires

Lt. John Wooley, of the Johnston Fire Department, struts on stage at last night's fundraiser at Boston Billiards, Warwick.

The lucky dozen will get phone calls today.

In three years, the calendar project has generated $30,000 for charity -- in 2002, for AIDS Care Ocean State's nursery for babies with HIV, and in 2002 and 2003, for The Station Family Fund and Doc Fund.

The Doc Fund, begun by Clear Channel Communications in honor of radio personality Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves, who was killed in The Station fire, provides college scholarship money for the fire victims' children.

"It's a fun project, and it's got that kind of beefcake aspect, but it's also meant to be a very sincere celebration of these guys and the work that they do," calendar director Ann M. Martini said.

The calendar, sponsored by Clear Channel Communications and Providence Monthly, sells for $14.95; production costs are about $4.50 each. In years past, the retailers have kept part of the profit. "This year, we're going to ask the stores if we can keep all of the profit," Martini said. "I don't know if it's going to work."

The organizers sold 5,000 copies in previous years. This year, they've ordered 7,500, anticipating more demand due to the calendar's wider geographic reach.

Oh, and just to clarify: The organizers opened the auditions to departments around the state in response to requests from those departments, not because they ran out of Providence firefighters to feature. Far from it, in fact, says Martini. "It's a good-looking department in Providence," she says.

Besides calendar sales, the project draws revenue from ads sold by the featured firefighters. Each must sell $2,000 worth, or he'll be replaced with one of 10 runners-up.

The calendar organizers auctioned off a judge's seat through the Rhode Island Donation Exchange Program in April. The winning bid was $1,900.

They keep $10 from each of roughly 250 tickets sold last night. And they will hold a car wash with the 12 pinups later this summer.