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Court Allows Limited FDNY EMS Claim to Proceed After Earlier Dismissal in Involuntary Transport Case
A federal magistrate in New York has issued a new ruling in MacNeal v. New York, a case involving an alleged involuntary mental-health transport by NYPD officers and FDNY EMS personnel. The decision follows an earlier dismissal of claims against the City and FDNY that we covered last year.
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Colorado Water District Sues Denver Over PFAS Contamination Allegedly Tied to Fire Training Facility
A Colorado water provider has filed suit against the City and County of Denver, alleging that decades of firefighting training activities at a Denver Fire Department training facility contaminated groundwater supplies with PFAS chemicals used in firefighting foam.
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Judge Overturns $700k Jury Verdict in California Fire Captain Discrimination Case
A Kern County Superior Court judge has overturned a jury verdict entered last November in a long-running employment discrimination case brought by a Bakersfield Fire Department captain. The court granted the City’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV), setting aside a jury award of more than $700,000.
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Ohio Federal Court Dismisses Federal Claims in EMS Response Lawsuit; State Claims Remanded
A federal district court has dismissed the federal constitutional claims arising out of a lawsuit involving the emergency medical response to a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Marion, Ohio, while remanding the remaining state-law claims back to state court.
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Former Seattle Fire HR Director Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation, Whistleblower Violations, and Discrimination
The former Seattle Fire Department Human Resources Director has filed suit against the city, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, and Public Safety Civil Service Commission Director Andrea Scheele, alleging whistleblower retaliation, discrimination, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and public records violations.
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Developer Sues Youngstown Over Emergency Demolition Ordered by Fire Chief
An Ohio developer has filed suit against the City of Youngstown, alleging that the city violated its constitutional rights when the fire chief ordered the demolition of a commercial building without prior notice or an opportunity to be heard.
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Atlantic City Settles Firefighter Beard Case After Third Circuit Revives Religious Accommodation Claims
The City of Atlantic City has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle a long-running lawsuit brought by firefighter Alexander Smith, resolving claims that the Atlantic City Fire Department violated federal law by refusing to allow him to wear a beard as an expression of his Christian faith.
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Fire Law Roundup for January 12, 2026
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for January 12, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a state court lawsuit filed by a Lynchburg, VA firefighter after her federal lawsuit was dismissed; the settlement of an FLSA overtime lawsuit filed by single-role EMS personnel with the Fredericksburg Fire Department; a $3.25 million settlement with the family of woman who was mistakenly pronounced dead only to be found alive alive at a funeral home; the settlement of a discrimination lawsuit against the Jackson Fire Department by its first female firefighter; and the dismissal of a pro se lawsuit against the Marina Fire…
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Lynchburg Firefighter Files New Retaliation Suit in State Court Following Fourth Circuit Ruling
A long-running dispute involving a Lynchburg firefighter has returned—this time in state court—following a Fourth Circuit decision last year that reopened the door for certain claims to proceed outside federal court.
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Virginia Fire Department Settles Overtime Lawsuit for $365,000
A federal wage-and-hour lawsuit filed by single-role EMS personnel with the Fredericksburg Fire Department has been resolved through a negotiated settlement. The case was brought by EMS employees who alleged the City violated the FLSA by failing to pay overtime compensation for hours worked in excess of 40 per week.
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$3.25 Million Settlement Announced in Michigan Mistaken DOA Case
The city of Southfield, Michigan, has agreed to a $3.25 million settlement with the family of Timesha Beauchamp, resolving litigation arising from an August 23, 2020, emergency response in which she was mistakenly pronounced dead by fire and EMS personnel, yet later found alive at a funeral home.
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