The Rhode Island state fire marshal has ordered the city of Providence to post 24-hour fire watches at two fire stations.
Otherwise, both stations are too unsafe to stay open.
"That's because they do not have operational fire alarm systems in either one of them," State Fire Marshal Jack Chartier told NBC 10 News after meeting with city officials Monday afternoon. "We're not only concerned about the buildings and the firefighters that occupy them. We're concerned about these buildings because they are critical to fire safety in the city of Providence."
The watches began Monday night at the Brook Street and Mount Pleasant stations.
Chartier said firefighters will be scheduled on overtime to cover the watch shifts. Each will earn $55 an hour, potentially costing the city more than $18,000 a week until the proper repairs are made.
However, fire officials said in an attempt to save money, the fire stations are currently breaking up the 24-hour fire watch into smaller 2-hour increments and assigning the shifts to firefighters already on-duty for no extra cost.
But to make things even more complicated, if the Brooks Street or Mount Pleasant Stations are sent to a call, all firefighters at the station, including the person on fire watch would have to respond. That would force another company to be sent to the Brooks Street or Mount Pleasant Station to continue the mandatory fire watch.