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Lawsuit Challenging EMS Contract in Tennessee is Dismissed
A lawsuit challenging the award of an EMS provider contract by a Tennessee county to MedicOne Medical Response has been dismissed. The lawsuit was filed earlier this year by Unicoi County resident John Day against the county seeking to block the award to MedicOne because the county failed to "employ an open, fair, and competitive bidding process.”
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Latin Music Festival Organizers Claim Police and Fire Demands Ruined Event
The organizers of a now-defunct music festival called "Pueblo Fest" are suing the host city of Tulare, California claiming its fire and police departments sabotaged the event with unreasonable requirements and excessive costs. The suit was filed by Esau and Euler Torres in US District Court naming the city, Police Chief Wes Hensley, and Fire Chief Willard Epps.
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Massachusetts Judge Fines City’s Fire Commission For Open Meetings Violation in Firefighter Discipline Case
A Superior Court Judge has fined the City of Westfield’s Fire Commission $1,000 for willfully violating the state’s open meetings law. Judge Constance M. Sweeney handed down the ruling Monday after having nullified the termination of three firefighters last August.
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Jury Finds that BCs in Vancouver Are Exempt Executives
A federal court jury has found that battalion chiefs in the Vancouver, Washington Fire Department qualify as exempt executives, and thus are exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The decision was handed down earlier this year.
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Fatal Chicago Fire Prompts Suits Against Landlord and City
A mother who lost three children in a fire last August, has filed suit against the building owner and the City of Chicago. Priscilla Cobos’ children, Giovanni Ayala, 10; Gialanni Ayala, 5; and Alanni Ayala, 3, were among the ten who died in the August 26, 2019 blaze.
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Massachusetts Man Who Served 30 Years For Arson Sues For Wrongful Conviction
A Massachusetts man who served 30 years in prison for setting a fatal fire in 1982 is now suing those who were responsible for what he claims was his wrongful conviction. Victor Rosario was convicted of arson and murder for starting a house fire in Lowell that killed eight people
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Judge Denies TRO To Atlantic City Firefighter Over Religious Beard
A US District Court judge has denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the Atlantic City Fire Department to block disciplinary proceedings against a firefighter who has refused to shave his beard due to his religious beliefs. Alexander Smith filed suit claiming the fire department’s rules prohibiting beards discriminates against him on account of his religion.
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Honolulu Settles LODD Suit for $5 Million
Honolulu has agreed to settle with the family of a firefighter killed during a water rescue training exercise in 2016 by paying $5.25 million. Clifford Meredith Rigsbee died on June 14, 2016 while participating in water rescue training on the southeast shore of Oahu near Diamond Head.
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Indiana Court Deals South Bend Fire A Minor Set Back
The Indiana Court of Appeals dealt a slight blow to the South Bend Fire Department last week with a ruling that will allow a case that had been decided in the department’s favor to return to trial court for further proceedings. The case involved a woman, Evelyn M. Gregory, who claims she was injured due to the negligence of firefighters from the South Bend Fire Department
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Meanwhile in Canada: Firefighters Caught Having Sex On Duty In Fire Chief’s Office Reinstated
A fire captain and a dispatcher who were terminated for having sex in the fire chief’s office while on duty have been ordered reinstated by a British Columbia Arbitration Panel. Fire Captain Brent Bond and dispatcher Cara-Leigh Manahan were terminated from the Vernon Fire Department last year.
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Detroit Firefighters Sue to Block Bodily Fluid Clean Up Policy
Detroit Firefighters Association IAFF Local 344 has filed suit against the city in an effort to block implementation of a policy requiring firefighters to wash down blood and bodily fluids at accident and medical scenes. The lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court seeks to block implementation of the “Bodily Fluid Aftermath Cleanup" policy.
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Oakland Captain Claims Race Discrimination and Retaliation
An Oakland captain is suing the city and Fire Chief Darren White claiming he was wrongly passed over for a promotion in the fire marshal’s office because his son was convicted of arson. Captain Howard Holt filed the suit last week alleging race discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, and a host of state law claims.
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NY Fire Department Sued for Copyright Violation
A Long Island fire department is facing a rather unusual type of lawsuit for a fire department: it stands accused of violating the Copyright Act of 1976. William P. Kelly, Jr. is suing the Oceanside Fire Department alleging ten of his photographs were used in a book about the department without his permission.
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