Politics

A federal court has ruled that a fifty-year-old consent decree that mandated strict race-conscious hiring quotas for Massachusetts fire departments has achieved its intended goals in all but three communities, and will be terminated on December 31, 2024. The consent decree was the result of a series of lawsuits brought in the early 1970s by the Boston Chapter of the NAACP.

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A former South Carolina fire chief who was terminated in 2020 has filed a defamation suit against the mayor who fired him. Mark Redd was the fire chief in Wagener. He was terminated by Mayor Michael Miller after serving the town as a volunteer firefighter for over 40 years, the last 23 of which as fire chief.

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The Florida legislature has amended the Firefighters’ Bill of Rights to clarify several provisions that for years have created confusion for firefighters, unions, fire department investigators, and fire chiefs. The amended law goes into effect Friday, July 1, 2022.

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An Illinois fire chief who was terminated in 2021 has filed suit claiming the fire district violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. John R. Nixon served as fire chief for the Fox River and Countryside Fire Rescue District from 2016 til his dismissal on August 23, 2021.

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Twenty-one San Francisco firefighters who were fired for failing to comply with the city’s COVID19 vaccine mandate have filed suit alleging religious discrimination, failure to accommodate religious beliefs under California law, due process violations, and violations of their autonomous privacy rights. The suit was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court.

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The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court has ruled that the City of Newark must comply with an arbitrator’s ruling requiring the city to continue military leave benefits to deployed firefighters. That ruling essentially restores the city’s past practice that was put in place after 9-11.

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Fire Chief Gary Loesch who was unceremoniously fired last week by the City of Sacramento, is speaking publicly about his treatment by city officials. The official reason given by city officials for his termination was incompatibility with his management style.

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The City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Firefighters IAFF Local 1 have reached a compromise on ending a residency requirement for firefighters. The residency requirement was incorporated into the city charter in 2013 for firefighters and police officers.

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The Supreme Court of Idaho has upheld the constitutionality of the state’s cancer presumption law for firefighters, in a challenge brought by a city contesting a firefighter’s right to workers’ comp benefits for leukemia. Captain Richard Nelson served as a firefighter in Pocatello

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A US District Court judge has issued an preliminary injunction ordering the city of East Chicago, Indiana to return its firefighters to a 24-48 schedule. Judge Simon concluded that Mayor Copeland forced the firefighters to a schedule in retaliation for supporting an opposing candidate in violation of their 1st Amend. rights.

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A volunteer fire company in Darby Township, Pennsylvania, has been suspended by township officials following allegations that racial slurs and racist remarks were made during a virtual meeting in late January. The Briarcliffe Fire Company was suspended by the Darby Township’s Board of Commissioners yesterday.

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The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a ruling by Boone County Superior Court that under local law, the mayor of Zionsville cannot terminate the fire chief, nor redefine the chief's duties, revise the chief’s job description, or demote the chief without the approval of the town council.

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A lawsuit challenging a COVID19 vaccine mandate for San Diego firefighters and police officers has been filed in San Diego County Superior Court. The suit was filed by SDFD Captain Justus Norgord, two police officers and a private non-profit, Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids.

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A Missouri fire district has filed suit against a local municipality who it claims is obstructing its ability to construct and open a badly needed firehouse. The Monarch Fire Protection District filed suit against the City of Wildwood last week seeking injunctive relief.

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