JOHNSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. is pushing back against a whistleblower complaint alleging a pattern of alcohol and drug use among town firefighters while on duty.
Johnston firefighter Edward Spicer, who joined the department in 2024, filed a lawsuit against the town last week in R.I. Superior Court.
The lawsuit details what Spicer describes as a culture of firefighters being repeatedly drunk and high on the job, behavior he alleges was “open and notorious to commanding officers.”
“Said intoxication created unreasonable workplace hazards, in direct violation of law, and could give rise to violations of law regarding operating vehicles while intoxicated,” Spicer’s attorneys wrote in the complaint.
“Firefighter Spicer’s observations signal that the visits from the intoxicated females were not isolated incidents, but were only the tip of a much larger iceberg of disciplinary problems,” the attorneys wrote.
Polisena said his administration looked into the allegations of alcohol and drug abuse, determined they were unfounded and now believes Spicer made them up because he had been called out for abusing paid sick time during snowstorms.
“We called out this individual for an abuse of sick time, and I believe that’s how this all started,” Polisena said.
Spicer’s attorney, Vicki Bejma, disputed that characterization, telling Target 12 her client never abused sick time.
“I think that is heightened for first responders because of what they see, particularly firefighters, because of the rescue calls they run on,” he said.
Polisena also acknowledged part of the allegations involving women visiting the fire station, saying one firefighter was disciplined earlier this year for allowing them into the station.
The video was recorded and posted to TikTok, which Polisena said was part of a broader trend of women visiting fire stations.
Polisena said he saw the video but did not see any alcohol and did not have a copy of it. The video has since been removed from TikTok, but screenshots posted to Facebook sparked more than 400 comments.
“It was woman in fire gear, that’s all I saw,” Polisena said.
After receiving the letter from Spicer’s attorneys in June, Polisena asked former Fire Chief David Iannuccilli to retire early.
“If we have a new chief now, he will deal with this from beginning to end. And again, we took that letter seriously,” he said.
Polisena also hired former R.I. State Police Col. Steven O’Donnell in July to review the fire department, although he acknowledged the review was focused mostly on policies and procedures rather than the allegations of alcohol and drug abuse. (O’Donnell is also a 12 News law enforcement analyst.)
In his lawsuit, Spicer accused Iannuccilli of outing him as the whistleblower to his fellow firefighters after he raised concerns internally about the drinking and drug use. Spicer said Battalion Chief Robert Marshall subsequently referred to him as a “rat” to other employees.
“I would not condone any type of response like that by one of our battalion chiefs,” Calci said.
Calci also disputed a claim in the lawsuit that the town is trying to fire Spicer. The firefighter has been out on sick leave for work-related PTSD, which his attorney said entitles him to on-the-job injury benefits.
“I’ve been with the department for 30 years,” Calci said. “I’ve been to every station working every station, every truck, and multiple positions and I’ve never seen once anything like what he’s alleging occur.”
“We are confident justice will prevail and that Mr. Spicer will have been shown the victim of retaliation for having reported misconduct that would result in an immediate danger to the public,” Bejma said.
Polisena said he stands by the department and its firefighters and does not believe the allegations should be a cause for concern among residents.
“I’ve been in the back of that rescue multiple times, my son has been in the back of that rescue, I have absolutely no fears and no doubts when my life is literally in their hands,” he said.
