George Donovan: Retired EPHS Teacher Extraordinaire... and more!

George Donovan - Spends his days helping area's Emergency Disaster Responders

By Bob Rodericks

He lives alone now in the same large house that George and Lois Donovan raised six children in. The house is in one of East Providence's older neighborhoods near City Hall and is chocked full of memories for 86 year young George Donovan. His beloved wife of 50 years, Lois, died 7 years ago and his twin brother just recently passed. All six children live outside of East Providence now. "Three live out-of-state and three live in Rhode Island. They all did so well," Donovan recalled as he touted their various business, education and military careers. "I really should move into something easier to manage, but I just love this house. It's big and I love it," said Donovan as the Reporter recently spent a day with him. "There is plenty of room when the kids and grandchildren visit and stay over," he smiled.

George Donovan is a man of many interests. He has led an active retirement. A teacher for 30 years, he retired in 1986. He began teaching at Central Junior High (now E.R. Martin Middle) in 1956 and then went to East Providence High School and remained there. "I taught history and then finished my career as the AV (audio-visual) instructional media specialist. He received the East Providence 'Outstanding Educator' award in 1985. The high school had just opened and it was beautiful. The best in R.I. at one time. It was such a pleasure to work there back then," he said. Donovan was a fixture at EPHS and worked under every principal from the pipe-smoking, dapper James Bates to the affable, highly visible Arthur Elmasian. Donovan was a major asset to the community during his 30 years of teaching. When he switched from teaching history to coordinating AV needs, he almost single handedly retrofitted the high school for technology - as it existed in those days. "When I got to the high school they had a few 16 mm cameras and projectors. The high school had a weekly school-wide assembly and Donovan decided to expand the offerings to students. "We created a full professional projection booth and media center. The school had a beautiful booth on the second floor which looked over the auditorium. We started to capitalize on the coming of cable TV in the city," he recounted.

Donovan knew that the laws governing cable television required the industry to help schools with the technology. "Cable TV of East Providence was our original cable company. They were great and helped us a lot," he said. Working with cable engineers they brought a cable line under Pawtucket Avenue to the high school. "From that line we wired the entire high school with cable. This allowed us to program educational telecasts and broadcast from our control room to every classroom," said Donovan. Donovan next expanded on ideas he had to connect every school in the city. He worked with cable executives to survey and then wire each school building for cable transmissions. "I went to Myron (Superintendent of schools, Myron Francis) and asked for more equipment and supplies. He liked the idea and asked if we could broadcast from the high school to the others. He told me to prepare a plan and he would bring it to the school committee. Our plan was accepted and we were on our way," Donovan recalled. Eventually, every school in East Providence was set up for video broadcasting between each other and the potential existed for much more. Production of holiday concerts, sporting events, public meetings and more were all part of Donovan's dream to connect the community to the schools. "A big hit within the community was the airing of athletic contests on local cable TV. Many people who couldn't attend the games in person because of work or health, would enjoy watching games on cable TV," he said. Donovan got assistance from local sports television and radio personality Steve McDonald and other volunteers who got the project off the ground. "I operated the camera a lot and we had great help from Steve McDonald (EP resident and current voice of the URI Rams). We also had teachers and students begin to work on these shows," it was a fun and helpful effort," said Donovan. "George was at the forefront of all the local programming on Cable today," said WHJJ/WHJY radio personality Steve McDonald. "Without George it would never have gotten done. He planted the seed that started it all. From those early days of getting school sports and other stuff on TV, well the rest of us have benefited," he added. "And above all else, he did it quietly but effectively," said McDonald. "He's a great guy."

Once cable TV was established in the city, Donovan assembled a group of volunteers to produce and videotape city council, school committee and zoning board meetings. Donovan also produced other state and local events for public viewing. "We became trained at the cable studios for free and were provided with video cameras and editing decks, along with the use of studio time to produce and air these shows. People like Irwin Setzer and Joan Perry spent several evenings a month taping and producing these shows. Irwin and Joan were critical to these productions," Donovan added. The Donovan cable access shows became a staple in the community. His cablecasts of city council and school committee meetings, and other shows, were once rated the most watched public access show on cable TV by viewers. His productions also received awards in the annual statewide cable "Grammy award contest". Donovan was a long time chairman of the local EP Citizen's Advisory Committee for Cable TV and a member of the State Advisory Council for Cable. Donovan was relentless in pushing state and cable company executives to provide the public with the free public access programming as required by law.

Although George Donovan is a lifelong East Providence resident, he attended LaSalle Academy in Providence yet received his diploma from Central High in Providence. With World War II raging on, Donovan left LaSalle after his junior year to help in the war effort. "I enlisted in the Coast Guard and saw duty in the Southwest Pacific and the North Atlantic from '45 to '48," he said matter-of-factly. Donovan served on ships and islands and was a radio operator on the North Atlantic Weather and Ice Patrol (He has a daughter who is a retired US Naval Commander). "After the war, Rhode Island had a special program for its' veterans returning home, to earn their high school diploma. We were assigned to a program of study at Central High School if we wanted to finish school. After completing the courses we were given our diploma. "Yeah," he chuckles, "I attended LaSalle, lived in EP, but got my high school diploma from Central High in Providence."

Donovan's love of the video camera goes way back. Through the years, Donovan has shown a special intrigue for fire service and emergency preparedness. While in college during the 1950's he became interested in taking pictures at fires. "Not that I liked watching fires but I saw my photography as a follow-up way to help with training efforts, etc.", he explained. In 1962 he was named the "official photographer" of the East Providence Fire Department. It was a "no-pay" job, but Donovan spent hours helping the department in many ways. "I still have the I.D. card the Chief gave me in 1962," he said as he produced the card he carries in his wallet to this day.

During those early years teaching and raising six children he would need additional jobs. He became a part time news photographer for Channel 10 television. "I worked a lot of hours, a lot of summers for Channel 10 news. It was a busy news time during the '60s and '70s. I was often assigned to cover the Nixon administration and Senators Pell and Pastore. Chafee was the Navy Secretary. I had to go to Washington DC often," Donovan recalled.

Cable TV of East Providence - the company - no longer exists, as Cox or Verizon or satellite companies now provide residents with cable television. East Providence no longer has a local presence or a studio. Production areas have being consolidated throughout the state. And, to his chagrin, the EP school department cut Donovan's former AV/Media Center position from the high school. The high school auditorium projection booth is no longer used. All auditorium events are covered - if at all - from floor level. Volunteers no longer provide various public meetings on cable public access. Instead the city budgets several thousand dollars a year to a private vendor to tape and "stream" council and school committee meetings live on the internet. Sometimes the meetings are also shown on local access cable, while sharing air time with Pawtucket.

These days, Donovan spends much of his time coordinating efforts of the 'Special Signal Fire Association' of Rhode Island - also known as "The Canteen". A group of volunteers, mostly retired fire and police type, have been providing extended incident assistance for Fire, Police, State, and Federal agencies. The group has been serving the First Responders of Southern New England since 1968. The group has two vehicles which they staff and bring to large fires or disaster emergencies. The larger of the two vehicles resembles a recreational type camper that would rival any seen at a professional football tailgating party. Paul O'Rourke, a 40 year veteran of the Providence Police Department, now retired is the President of this totally volunteer group. "George is a great asset to our group. He is an energetic volunteer who is vital to our group," said O'Rourke. The 'Canteen' staffs the group's two trucks 24 hours per day and responds to the region's fires and disasters. The canteen provides exhausted firefighters and first-responders with a much needed relief or rest station. "The big unit has a bathroom, a water and Gatorade station and can provide firefighters with a break, serving beef stew, Chili, Chicken Cutlets, Meatballs, Soup, hot coffee and much more," explained Donovan. Donovan recently gave us a tour of the facilities in Providence. The $200,000 canteen vehicle was donated by Abel Restoration, Inc. "It was a total donation which provides us with this state-of-the-art sophisticated vehicle. It has a six burner stove, freezers, microwaves, coffee makers, refrigerators, steam tables and more. The firemen really appreciate the respite we provide," said Donovan. The canteen stores its' vehicles in space large building shared with its' major benefactor, Able Restoration in Providence. "Although our two trucks have been donated there are about $50,000 in annual expenses to keep the effort going. We have building utility costs and we use a lot of food and supplies at these fires and disasters and fuel is expensive," he added. Some fire departments try to allocate some funds to the canteen "but they have limited funding as well." So Donovan and others are constantly seeking donations or grants. East Providence firefighters have made a cash donation to help the cause. Donovan recently met with officials from Dunkin Donuts. The donut and coffee giant agreed to provide coffee for the canteen truck. "We get a monthly donation of coffee for our unit," said Donovan. Donovan has additional meetings set up with Dunkin Donut officials in which he is asking them for more corporate donations. "We exist totally with small donations," said Donovan. "We are on some thin ice financially right now. We are literally existing day to day. Donations are hard to come by, everyone is struggling." East Providence firefighters like the efforts of the canteen. "The Canteen truck is invaluable to us. They have assisted our guys many times and I can't say enough good things about George Donovan. He's the best," said East Providence fire chief, Oscar Elmasian. "Whenever we call them (Canteen) for help, they come. At our recent large wood pellet fire in the city, George and the Canteen were a Godsent. They fed our firefighters hot and cold food and drinks and they even help the suffering victims. They are great," said Elmasian. "The heavy gear worn by firefighters combined with their physical exertion causes cardiac stress and dehydration, etc.", explained Donovan. "Our canteen helps to rotate out the men for periodic rest and health checks. We provide water and energy drinks. A bowl of hot beef stew is very welcomed to an ice-covered firefighter," added Donovan.

Donovan has used his videotaping and photographing skills to assist East Providence emergency response workers with training films and actual training exercises. He has gone out on hundreds of fire and police 'runs', filming where appropriate in order to produce training films and archive footage. Most of this was done before the current availability of computers and digital technology. "I would grab my video camera and get out to a fire or disaster after monitoring the fire and police radios," he explained.

When still teaching at EPHS, Donovan was one of a few charter members of the city's first task force to provide Emergency Response Planning for the schools, fire and police. School officials involved with Donovan often marveled at the amount of expertise he brought to the table. Donovan was instrumental in providing the city's first Emergency Response Plan. He led a team of school, police and fire officials which conducted unannounced drills in all schools. "The drills won't be as effective if we tell schools we are coming," he said. "Some of my (school) colleagues want to know ahead of time when we are coming so they can prepare. But I would always tell them that - listen, the bad guys aren't announcing their schedules," he recounted. Indeed, Donovan and a team of a dozen or so would descend on a school, order a code red (lock down) and proceed to make a room by room check to ensure that the district's policy was being followed. "We would provide schools with a follow up report which offered constructive suggestions if needed. Most schools were great with compliance," he said. While schools individually practice drilling these days, they no longer conduct joint school, police and fire training exercises. "I wish they would," said Donovan.

And so, although looking very fit, 86 year-young George Donovan moves a little slower these days. His knees pain him occasionally but he is still quick to jump in his car and respond to the 'Special Signal Fire Association' or the "Canteen" truck and respond to a need by our first responders. He spends many days preparing and stocking the canteen with food and drink. Whether it was leaving high school to answer his nation's call to action during World War II, or admirably teaching the young people of East Providence or helping provide respite and training to the area's emergency responders to life's disasters - George Donovan is truly an extraordinary citizen and a Townie. Oh, and add a devoted husband of 50 years and loving father to six children and grandfather of 10.

Donations are the canteen's only source of income and can be sent to: Special Fire Association, P.O. Box 25009, Providence, RI 02905.