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Fire Law Roundup for March 30, 2026
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 30, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss criminal charges brought against a Kentucky firefighter for payroll fraud; a Massachusetts appellate decision upholding the dismissal of a former fire chiefs defamation suit against an elected official; the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging the governor’s appoint of a Louisiana fire chief violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965; a New York decision in a dispute between a volunteer fire company and a fire district; and an Indiana court ruling concluding that the state fire board acted arbitrarily when it overturned an administrative law judge’s…
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Kentucky Firefighter Charged, Resigns Following Alleged $10,000 Overtime Fraud
A firefighter in Winchester, Kentucky has been arrested and charged after city officials concluded he fraudulently claimed more than $10,000 in overtime pay over a 13-month period. According to Winchester Police, FF Kenneth Ball was charged with theft by deception involving $10,000 or more.
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Massachusetts Appeals Court Affirms Dismissal of Former Chief’s Defamation Suit
A Massachusetts appellate court has affirmed summary judgment in favor of a town selectboard chair who was sued for defamation by a former fire chief following the chief’s termination. Former Stockbridge Fire Chief Chief Ernest J. Cardillo, Jr. originally filed suit against the Town’s Selectboard in federal court following his termination in 2019.
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Federal Court Dismisses Challenge to the Appointment of City Fire Chief By Louisiana Governor
A federal judge in Louisiana has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the appointment of Monroe Fire Chief Timothy Williams, ending—for now—a dispute that began when the Monroe City Council and Mayor Friday Ellis remained deadlocked for more than a year over who should lead the city’s fire department.
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New York Judge Restores Fire Company President Pending Hearing in Governance Dispute
An Albany County Supreme Court justice has issued temporary relief in an Article 78 proceeding filed by Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. against the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Schuyler Heights Fire District and the Schuyler Heights Fire District, in a dispute over disciplinary authority and control of fire company governance.
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Indiana Court Orders Reinstatement of Captain’s Fire Certifications After Finding State Board Acted Arbitrarily
A Marion Superior Court judge has ordered the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to restore all firefighting certifications held by a 20-year Muncie Fire Department captain after concluding that the state fire board acted arbitrarily when it overturned an administrative law judge’s recommendation and imposed severe discipline based on an allegation of cheating.
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Louisiana Wrongful Death Suit Alleges Dispatch and Search Failures in Fatal Shreveport House Fire
A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Caddo Parish alleges that communication failures and delayed search efforts by the Shreveport Fire Department contributed to the deaths of an elderly woman and her two granddaughters in an April 6, 2025 house fire on Kemp Lane in Shreveport.
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Retired NY Firefighter Challenges Denial of Pension Benefits, Alleging Bias and Improper Evidence
A retired Mount Vernon firefighter has filed an Article 78 petition in New York Supreme Court seeking to overturn the City of Mount Vernon’s denial of line-of-duty disability benefits under General Municipal Law § 207-a(2). Michael Figueroa, who previously served as a firefighter with the City of Mount Vernon Fire Department, alleges that the city’s December 3, 2025 final determination denying him disability benefits was legally defective
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Woman Sues San Francisco Fire, Police, and Human Services Over Warrantless Home Entry and Child Removal
A San Francisco woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that members of the San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Police Department, and San Francisco Human Services Agency unlawfully entered and searched her home without a warrant, then used information obtained during that entry to remove her six-year-old child from her custody.
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Mental Health Advocacy Groups Sue Worcester Over 911 Response to Behavioral Health Emergencies
Three Massachusetts mental health advocacy organizations filed suit in federal court Monday against the City of Worcester, alleging that the city’s 911 system unlawfully discriminates against people with mental health disabilities by sending armed police officers as the default response to mental health emergencies rather than trained behavioral health clinicians.
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Fire Law Roundup for March 16, 2026
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 16, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a $1.25 million lawsuit files by a former division chief in Oregon alleging he was terminated for reporting repeated workplace bullying by his supervisor and for requesting to use paid medical; a wrongful termination suit filed by five probationary firefighters in Tennessee chief alleging they were terminated in retaliation for participating in a public union campaign over firefighter pay, staffing shortages, and working conditions; a hearing officer’s decision concluding a Florida was not discrimination against when he was passed over for a promotion; a decision…
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Oregon Training Chief Seeks $1.25 Million Over Retaliation, Disability Bias, and Interference With Paid Leave After Reporting Workplace Bullying
A former division chief with the Ashland Fire & Rescue has filed suit against the city, alleging that after he was recruited from a neighboring department, he was terminated for reporting repeated workplace bullying by his supervisor and for requesting to use paid medical.
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