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London Chiefs Under Investigation For Shelter In Place Decision
Today’s burning question: Could London’s fire chief and other senior fire officials be prosecuted over their decision to advise residents of the Grenfell Tower to shelter-in-place? Answer: According to the Telegraph, police officials are investigating whether senior fire officials should be charged in regards to their role in the deaths of residents in Grenfell Tower high rise fire. Seventy-two people died in the fire that engulfed the 23-story building on June 14, 2017.
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Illinois Judge Orders Sanctions Against Fire Department in Sexual Harassment Case
An Illinois judge has agreed to issue sanctions against a fire department for failing to preserve digital evidence in a sexual harassment case. The case dates back to 2012 when Country Club Hills firefighter Dena Lewis-Bystrzycki filed suit against the department, fire chief Joseph Ellington and firefighter Carl Pycz.
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FDNY Sued For Bullying and Retaliation
A veteran Hispanic firefighter filed suit today alleging he was bullied and retaliated against by his colleagues after they learned that he sought and received claimant status under the Vulcan Society discrimination litigation in 2013.
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Louisiana Firefighter Charged With Arson
A volunteer firefighter with the Longville Fire Department in Beauregard Parish has been charged with arson. Chance Felice was arrested Monday and charged with setting a fire in his own home. He is facing a single count of simple arson.
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Virginia Beach Firefighters Complain About Training In Asbestos Containing Structure
A live burn in an asbestos-containing acquired structure in Virginia Beach has prompted the Virginia Beach Professional Firefighters to request state and federal officials to investigate. The April 15 training exercise was in an abandoned home that the owner granted the fire department permission to use. The Virginia Beach Professional Firefighters filed complaints with the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency and several state agencies as a result. Bill Bailey, president of the firefighters’ organization, said the live burn “appears to be a clear violation of federal and state environmental laws and cannot be tolerated or ignored.” According to the Virginian-Pilot,…
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Maryland Fire Company Loses Suit For Grant Funds
A Maryland judge has rejected the request of a volunteer fire company to order a charitable trust to award it a share of an annual grant normally made to local fire departments. The suit was filed by the Salisbury Independent Volunteer Fire Company Number One Station 13 against the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.
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Boston Captain Drops Suit Against Dentist
A lawsuit filed last year by a Boston fire captain for injuries he sustained at a fatal fire in 2016, has been voluntarily dismissed. Captain Kevin Garry was injured at a building fire in the dental office of Dr. Walter Holman.
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Origins of the 7K Firefighter Overtime Exemption
Today’s burning question: I was wondering if you knew the origin of the firefighter exemption from the 40-hour work week? Has there ever been a push to remove that exemption? Answer: The law you are referring to is the Fair Labor Standards Act, and more specifically 29 USC 207k within the act.
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Retired KCMO Firefighter Claims Race Discrimination Forced Him Off The Job
A Kansas City, Missouri firefighter who retired in 2014 has filed a race discrimination suit claiming that after he was repeatedly passed over for promotion to captain he had no choice but to retire. Travis Yeargans filed suit yesterday alleging that he was “constructively discharged”.
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West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds LODD Benefits to Widow
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia ruled today that the widow of a firefighter who suffered a heart attack after transporting a patient to the hospital is entitled to worker’s compensation dependent benefits. FF-EMT Garry Rose of the McMechen Volunteer Fire Department, died on February 6, 2015
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Man Who Lost Wife and Daughters in Gatlinburg Fire Sues Park Service For $14 million
A man who lost his wife and two daughters in the devastating wildland fire that tore through Gatlinburg in 2016, has filed a $14 million lawsuit against the National Park Service claiming negligence by its supervisors allowed the fire to grow to an uncontrollable size. Michael B. Reed filed suit last week naming the United States of America as the sole defendant.
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Substitutions, Acting Out Of Rank, and The FLSA
Today’s burning question: Our department allows substitutions, not just within ranks, but one rank up and one rank down. As a result, concerns have arisen about what the FLSA requires when a substituting member acts out of their designated rank. Are substituting members entitled to compensation for acting while subbing?
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