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Tale of Two Disability Pension Rulings: Brookfield IL and FDNY
Two cases from two fire departments on the issue of whether disabled firefighters qualify for accidental (line-of-duty) pensions, give us the opportunity to explore the factors that pension boards must consider when awarding or denying such pensions. Both firefighters sustained back injuries. Both sought accidental disability pension benefits. Both were awarded ordinary disability pensions. Both appealed.
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Fire Law Roundup for July 28, 2025
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 28, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful termination lawsuit brought a former Orlando deputy chief; two suits filed by San Antonio firefighters alleging disability discrimination stemming from their struggles with Long COVID; the conviction of a former propane technician for involuntary manslaughter in connection with a 2024 house explosion that killed a Loudoun County firefighter; a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed by an Indiana fire department; and a jury award of $1 million in damages to two Harrodsburg firefighters who alleged they were unlawfully terminated in retaliation for…
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Former Orlando Deputy Chief Sues City Alleging Retaliation and Wrongful Termination
A former deputy chief who was fired by the City of Orlando less than a year after he was hired, has filed suit claiming he was retaliated against for opposing discriminatory practices. Deputy Chief Manuel Navarro filed suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Fire Law Roundup – July 25, 2025 – Followup on Bootcamp Style Academies
In this edition of Fire Law Roundup, Curt continues the discussion from Monday’s Roundup with a more in depth review of the problem of fire instructors pushing recruits beyond their physical limits, resulting in LODDs. He is joined by his brother, Bill, a former firefighter and retired police detective commander who now works for the US Department of Defense. California Firefighters Keep Getting Injured During Training. Some Have Died Arizona fire recruit dies after suffering heat-related emergency during training Houston Fire Cadet Who Collapsed During Training, Passes Away Rhabdomyolysis in Firefighters Texas Suit Alleges Military Bootcamp Style Training Caused Fatal…
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Indiana Fire Department Files for Bankruptcy Under Chapter 11
It doesn’t happen very often, so when it does, it’s rather significant. On July 22, 2025, the Utica Township Fire Department, Inc., filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11.
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Federal Jury Awards $1 Million to Harrodsburg Firefighters Terminated for Union Organizing
A federal jury in the Eastern District of Kentucky has awarded $1 million in damages to two Harrodsburg firefighters who alleged they were unlawfully terminated in retaliation for organizing an IAFF local.
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Propane Technician Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter in LODD House Explosion
A Virginia jury has convicted a former propane technician of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a 2024 house explosion that killed a Loudoun County firefighter and injured more than a dozen others.
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Two Firefighters Sue San Antonio Fire Department Over Long COVID
Two San Antonio firefighters have filed separate federal lawsuits against the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Fire Department, alleging disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and retaliation stemming from their struggles with Long COVID.
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Fire Law Roundup for July 21, 2025
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 21, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a $50 million lawsuit brought by the family of a Virginia firefighter recruit who died during a physical training session in July 2023; Memphis Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1784, a lawsuit brought by Memphis Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1784, alleging the city violated a binding agreement to provide firefighters with a 5% pay raise; the dismissal of a suit bought by a local government watchdog group seeking judicial intervention over allegations of mismanagement of a local VFD; a mixed decision for a group of Assistant…
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Frederick County Sued for $50 Million in Death of Fire Recruit
The family of Ian Strickler, a Frederick County, Virginia firefighter recruit who died during a physical training session in July 2023, has filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Frederick County, Fire Chief Steven Majchrzak, and lead recruit instructor Kyle Ritter, alleging violations of Strickler’s due process rights.
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Memphis Firefighters Sue City Over Slashed Pay Raises
Memphis Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1784, has filed suit against the City of Memphis, claiming the city violated a binding agreement to provide firefighters with a 5% pay raise. The suit accuses the city of reneging on its commitment after a months-long bargaining process and violating the city’s own impasse ordinance in the process.
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Appellate Court Affirms Dismissal of Suit Alleging Mismanagement in Pennsylvania Fire Department Funding
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has upheld the dismissal of a suit brought by a local government watchdog group seeking judicial intervention over allegations of mismanagement in the Borough of Hollidaysburg, including issues involving the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department.
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