Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

An Oregon fire district that experienced a YCMTSU problem resulting in two federal lawsuits in 2023, is back in the Fire Law news with the filing a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit by two former captains. The captains claim they were forced to resign after reporting what they considered to be violations of the law by the fire chief brought in to right the ship.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 14, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss the settlement of a lawsuit arising out of an assault in California; a ruling that upheld a public utility decision citing a utility for not ...

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A California firefighter who claimed he was assaulted by a fire captain and a firefighter at an off-duty fire department event has agreed to settle his suit for $965k. Michael Botill filed suit last year naming the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County, Captain Dan Jordan and firefighter Forrest Gleitsman as defendants.

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A Connecticut court has rejected the appeal of an electric utility following an investigation into its slow response an emergency request by a local fire department. Connecticut Light & Power Co., d/b/a Eversource Energy sought to appeal a decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that found its response to a January 17, 2023 incident to be too slow.

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The City of Durham has entered into a consent decree with the US DOJ in response to claims that the hiring process used by the Durham Fire Department unintentionally created a disparate impact on African Americans. The consent decree resolves allegations that the city “disproportionately excluded African-American applicants from employment" as firefighters.

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The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has upheld the termination of a Chicago firefighter who was fired in 2021 over a series of offensive social media posts. Sam Inendino challenged his termination arguing that despite being offensive, his posts were protected by the First Amendment.

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A New Mexico firefighter who was fired earlier this year, has filed suit claiming he was mistakenly identified as a wanted criminal. Daniel Rubio filed suit in Second Judicial District Court claiming that Bernalillo County wrongfully terminated his employment.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 7, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a UK firefighter sentenced to 20 months in prison for taking and sharing a photos of a dead victim; the arrest of two Alabama firefighters ...

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A UK firefighter has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for taking and sharing photos of the body of a man killed in a car crash. Cameron Hancel took the photos in March, 2023 while working for the West Midlands Fire Service.

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Two Alabama firefighters are facing criminal charges over an incident that occurred on September 20, 2024. The incident involved a firefighter who reportedly refused to stop for the county sheriff while operating a fire truck, and the department’s fire chief who was upset about the arrest.

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An Illinois appellate court has ruled that the failure of a fire investigator to provide a suspect with a Miranda warning prior to an interview, violated her Constitutional rights warranting the reversal of her conviction for arson. Adriane Parke was convicted of arson for a fire that occurred in the Drury Inn in Mt. Vernon, Il.

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A US Magistrate Judge in Georgia has recommended the dismissal of all claims brought by a division chief who was terminated after reporting sexual misconduct by other chief officers. Div. Chief Christopher Cox claims that he was terminated by the City of Calhoun in retaliation for reporting a deputy chief and a battalion chief to the fire chief.

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A Kansas City firefighter-paramedic with two pending employment discrimination lawsuits has agreed to settle both suits, and not file a third, in exchange for a $1.3 million settlement. Rebecca Reynolds, 61, alleged she endured over twenty years of harassment and discrimination.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 30, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a decision reversing punishment for a Muncie fire captain at the center of an alleged cheating scandal; the FDNY connection to the indictment of the ...

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