 Mayor David Cicilline promised to resolve the dispute within 30 days of his election in 2002, but was unable to reach an agreement.In 2009, the dispute became national news as Vice President Joe Biden refused to attend the national mayor’s conference, held that year in Providence, so as not to cross the picket line.As part of a 2017 agreement reached by mayor Jorge Elorza, the Humboldt Avenue and Rochambeau Avenue firehouses were decommissioned to save costs.