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EEOC Investigating Florida Fire Department Following Complaints
Eight firefighters from Davie Fire Rescue have filed a comprehensive 87 page complaint with the EEOC alleging sex discrimination and retaliation. The complaint comes on the heels of two pending gender-based lawsuits against the department. As best I can tell the cluster of cases began in 2009 when Fire Inspector Linda Stokoe was terminated. Stokoe sued claiming she was discriminated against, and subjected to a hostile work environment. She alleges that supervisors went so far as to time her bathroom breaks, and did not similarly time the bathroom breaks of male personnel. Retired Lieutenant Larry Pasko sought the open position…
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Deputy Chief Sues Baltimore City For Race Discrimination
A deputy chief in the Baltimore City Fire Department has filed suit against the department, the fire chief, an assistant chief, a deputy mayor, and the mayor and city council of Baltimore alleging race discrimination. Deputy Chief Lloyd Carter filed suit on December 12, 2011, alleging he was wrongfully passed over for promotion because he is African American. He also claims that he has been subjected to harassing, embarrassing and humiliating work conditions, and retaliation based upon his race. Named as defendants in the suit are Fire Chief James Clack, Assistant Chief Donald Heinbuch, Deputy Mayor Chris Thomaskutty, along with…
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North Hudson Regional Fire Rescue Residency Rule Struck Down
On Tuesday, the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals handed down an important fire service ruling involving residency and discrimination. The case involved the North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue in New Jersey. The department had a residency requirement that all applicants must be a resident of one of the five communities making up the regional district. The district is 69.6% Hispanic, 22.9% white, and 3.4% African American. The department is 79.5% white, 19.2% Hispanic, and .6% African American. Suit was brought by the NAACP on behalf of African American applicants claiming that the residency requirement created a disparate impact.…
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New Jersey VFD Sued for Sex Discrimination
The Cape May County Herald is reporting that two women have filed a sex discrimination suit against the City of North Wildwood and the North Wildwood Volunteer Fire Company. According to the news report, the women were denied membership. City Solicitor William Kauffman has confirmed receipt of the summons and complaint, but declined to comment on the allegations. No additional details are available.
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Patterson Firefighters Grieve Withholding of Storm Related Overtime Pay
Patterson, New Jersey, Firefighters IAFF Local 4577 have filed a grievance against the city of Patterson over the non-payment of overtime wages for work performed during the flooding associated with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee last September. The grievance is similar to one filed last month by the Patterson Police union over the same issue. Between the two locals, the total amounts alleged to be owed exceed $200,000. The payments appear to be mired in city council action. The council is said to be investigating the overtime and have asked for additional information to “authenticate the additional hours worked.”…
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Bad to Worse for West Virginia Volunteer Fire Department
A bizarre case involving a West Virginia volunteer fire company has gotten a bit closer to closure. Michael Kevin Brammer, the former president of the Ronceverte Volunteer Fire Department, was convicted this week of one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement. Two other officials, former fire chief Jody Campbell and former treasurer William Miller, were also indicted in this case. Miller pled guilty and is on probation while Campbell awaits trial. The cases stem from the use of fire department funds to “assist” members having financial difficulties. The financial irregularities prompted the City of Ronceverte to move to consolidate control over the…
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Controversial West Palm Fire Captain Beats DUI Charge
A controversial West Palm Beach firefighter is back in the news following his acquittal on DUI charges. Fire Captain Rick Curtis was originally convicted of drunk driving back in May, sentenced to 3 days in jail, and terminated from West Palm Beach Fire Rescue. However, when he learned that the judge in the case, Marni Bryson, had an undisclosed relationship with firefighters’ union vice-president Doug Greene, with whom he was at odds, Captain Curtis sought a new trial. The request for a new trial was granted in June, and last Friday Captain Curtis was acquitted. He is now seeking to be…
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Missouri Battalion Chief Commits Suicide Following Termination
Last week we covered the story of the Monarch Fire Protection District’s decision to fire four chief officers over their involvement in a sexual harassment suit. According to news reports the men were not personally involved in the harassment, but were accused of not doing enough to stop it. Now comes word that one of the accused chiefs, Battalion Chief Fred Goodson, committed suicide three weeks after he was let go. Chief Goodson was found in the woods near his home yesterday with what police describe as a self-inflicted wound. Chief Goodson, 61, had been with Monarch Fire Protection district…
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Iraq and Afghanistan Firefighters File Suit for Over $100M
On Tuesday, twenty-eight US firefighters filed a class action lawsuit against Wackenhut Services International, Kellog-Brown & Root, LLC (KBR) and Halliburton Corp, claiming fraud, conspiracy, and breach of contract arising out of their work in Afghanistan and Iraq. The firefighters allege they were deceived into going overseas, not paid the wages and benefits they were promised, and threatened when they tried to complain. The 30 page complaint was filed in Federal District Court in Washington, DC. The suit alleges that some 2,000 firefighters were wrongfully deprived of “lawful wages required by government contracts – including in-country pay, danger pay, on-call…
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First Amendment Protects Firefighter’s Criticism Of Dive Rescue Cutbacks in Ohio
The United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down one of the more important fire service decisions of 2011 yesterday in the case of Westmoreland v. Sutherland. The Ohio case involved the Bay Village Fire Department’s effort to discipline a firefighter, Ron Westmoreland, for criticizing the city’s decision to eliminate the dive rescue team in 2008. The team was eliminated to save money, but shortly thereafter two children drown in separate incidents. Westmoreland attended a city council meeting following the deaths, and lambasted the elected officials for putting money before lives. The court quoted a portion of his comments:…
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Another Tennessee Home Burns As Firefighters Watch
The controversy associated with subscription fire services is not new. Whether you look at the economics, legality, or morality – it is a bad situation. Here’s a link to a podcast we did last year on a similar case from Tennessee.
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NH Firefighter Refuses To Return FD Equipment
Today’s burning question: I am a call firefighter, but because of a medical condition I can no longer respond to runs. The fire department has terminated me and demanded I return the department’s gear and equipment. I don’t think they have the right to do that, so I’m keeping the gear. What can they do to me, break into my house and steal it back? Answer: No, but they might send the police over for a chat because you may very well be guilty of theft. And by the way, if you happen to have a controlled substance such as…
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