The dispute between Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the city’s firefighters’ union is finally nearing a resolution as the two sides have signed off on a tentative agreement for a new contract. So what exactly is included in the proposed five-year contract? Here’s an overview. Minimum manning goes from 94 to 88. Let’s flash back to April 2015, before Mayor Elorza announced his plans to overhaul the fire department. The city had about 400 firefighters split across four platoons. The existing union contract requires that 94 firefighters be on duty at all times, a provision known as minimum manning.