Wife of Providence battalion chief says he lived a life of service

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Providence Fire Battalion Chief James Varin was a lifelong servant for the city of Providence.

He joined the department in 1992, following the same path as his father. For more than three decades, he dedicated his life to the city he grew up in.

His wife, Paula, said that only touches the surface of the man she knew.

"He was a good, honest family man," said Paula in an exclusive interview with NBC 10 News. "Who truly cares about people and that's what you need to be a good firefighter."

Varin was a 31-year veteran of the Providence Fire Department. He was most recently the captain of Ladder 3 at the Admiral Street Station.

In January 2022, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons defines it as, "a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor."

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One year after his diagnosis, Paula says he went into hospice. He died on Monday at 52-years-old.

He lives behind his wife and two sons.

"It's a sad moment for a department that really comes together as a family to protect all of us," said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley when speaking to reporters Tuesday night. "They lose one of their own."

Several studies have linked different forms of cancer to smoke, fumes and other carcinogens firefighters face on the job.

According to research by the Centers of Disease and Control (CDC), firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population.

Rhode Island was among the first states to pass a bill presuming all cancers found in Rhode Island firefighters are "conclusively presumed to be an occupational cancer."

House Bill 7449 was introduced in February 2020. It grants Varin the designation of death in the line of duty.

"Will we know if this horrible brain cancer was caused by what he would breathe in after 32 years?" asked Paula. "We'll never know but do I think he has regrets? No."