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North Las Vegas Firefighters File Suit to Block Layoffs
Last Friday, the firefighters union in North Las Vegas filed suit to block to layoff of 40 firefighters. The suit follows on the heels of a successful effort by the North Las Vegas Police Officers Association to block to layoff of 40 police officers. That decision was based on the impact of the layoffs on the safety of residents, and stayed the layoffs for 90 days. The layoffs are part of a plan to address a $31 million deficit. This video is from two weeks ago prior to the suit being filed.
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New Mexico IC Acquitted – Police Fire Wars Continue
A New Mexico fire chief who was arrested and relieved of command at the scene of a wildland fire by the local sheriff’s department has been exonerated of all charges. Fire Chief Eddie Velarde, of the Velarde Volunteer Fire Department, was found not guilty of three charges: obstructing a sheriff’s officer, disorderly conduct, and concealing his identity. The case was heard by a judge sitting without a jury. The case arose at a wildland fire on March 29, 2011 at which Chief Velarde was the Incident Commander. Lieutenant Adam Archuleta of the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s arrested Chief Velarde because…
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West Palm Beach Controversy Takes Strange Turn
A controversial West Palm Beach fire captain who was recently convicted of DUI, has won a new trial based on judicial misconduct. He now wants his job back and claims the entire matter is part of a conspiracy against him. Captain Rick Curtis has been the center of controversy for at least the past 10 years in West Palm Beach. He has been involved in a series of complaints and lawsuits alleging race discrimination within the West Palm Beach Fire Department. When originally arrested for DUI in January, 2010 he claimed that racism was involved. Later he alleged some of his…
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Florida Lieutenant Claims Discrimination Based on Military Service
A Florida fire lieutenant has filed a lawsuit claiming he has been passed over three times for promotion due to his military service. Lt. Dominick Landolfi, filed suit on June 10, 2011 against the City of Melbourne and Fire Chief Paul Forsberg claiming that despite being the highest rated candidate for promotion to battalion chief, he was repeatedly passed over. He further claims that his superiors told him that his military service was holding him back. The suit was filed in Federal court under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, (USERRA), 38 U.S.C. §4323, which prohibits employers from…
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Second Not Guilty Verdict in Deutsche Bank Fire Case
The second defendant in the Deutsche Bank Building fire case has been acquitted of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges. Jeffrey Melofchik, 49, walked out of court a free man, joining Salvatore DePaola, 56, who was acquitted yesterday. Three construction supervisors, DePaola, Melofchik, and Mitchel Alvo, 58, were charged in connection with the August 18, 2007 fire that claimed the lives of FDNY firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino. The John Galt Corp., which employed Alvo and DePaola, is also charged. The state claimed that the supervisors were responsible for a standpipe being inoperative at the time of the fire. …
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Holyoke Chief in Trouble Over False Alarm
Here is one of those unfortunate “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” cases that may very well claim the career of a fire chief. We have heard several versions of the facts – but what seems to be undisputed is that the interim fire chief in Holyoke, Massachusetts has been charged in connection with calling in a false alarm. The actual purpose in reporting the alarm seems to somewhat unclear, but it has been cited as a cause of a four car collision that injured one driver. Legal trouble for Holyoke Fire Chief: wwlp.com
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Who Is Responsible for Incidental Damage to Property During A Rescue Effort?
Who is responsible for incidental damage to property during the course of a rescue effort? A resident of Bakersfield, California filed a complaint against the Bakersfield Fire Department claiming damages of approximately $9,000, after firefighters damaged his drive way, some metal fencing and a clothesline during a rescue. Ray Costa called tree trimmers to trim an 80-foot palm tree in his yard. One of the tree workers got stuck. The Bakersfield Fire Department was called to rescue him. The firefighters brought a ladder truck to the scene and into Costa’s driveway. Access to the victim was difficult and the truck…
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Weekend Roundup: FDNY EMT and DC Pregnancy
There were a number of stories this past week that slipped by. Here are two, one from FDNY and one from DC: FDNY EMT David Taranto is accused of inappropriately touching a woman who was shaken up in a vehicle accident. Allegedly once the patient was in the ambulance, Taranto took his stethoscope, placed it underneath her shirt, and cupped her breast in his hand. He stayed with her in the ER for 3 hours, and took her cell phone, calling his own number with it to obtain her phone number. Over the next few days, he called her, sent her texts,…
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Boston Fire Suspends 54 in EMS Recert Scandal
The Boston Fire Department has suspended 54 firefighters in the wake of a two-state EMS recertification scandal involving EMTs in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The suspensions follow a year-long internal BFD investigation. The investigation found that 20 firefighters recertified twice using falsified certifications, and were given 45-day suspensions without pay. The remaining 34 firefighters who falsely recertified once were given 15-day suspensions without pay. All 54 will have to repay the department for the stipend they were paid to take the course. Across the region, several firefighters have been charged criminally (see also) in the scandal, and several civil suits…
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Fire Department Discipline: How Much is Enough?
Fire Department Discipline: How Much is Enough? A career firefighter and his company officer are accused of engaging in a road rage incident while their engine company is responding to an alarm. A three volunteer firefighters are accused of sexually assaulting a 16 year old junior firefighter as part of a hazing ritual. These are but two stories clipped from the headlines just last week! One of the most difficult challenges a fire officer has to deal with, is investigating a complaint of misconduct against a fellow firefighter. In fact the fire service as a whole struggles to reconcile the…
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Tulsa Firefighters Challenge Mayor’s Political Activity Prohibition
Tulsa Firefighters, IAFF Local 176 have filed suit against the city challenging Mayor Dewey Bartlett’s executive order prohibiting firefighters from engaging in local political activities. The order is so broad that it applies to firefighters at any time, even while off-duty. Union President Dennis Moseby is quoted as saying “We believe that when we are off duty and out of uniform we should be treated like any other citizen.” The suit alleges that the order violates the First Amendment. US Supreme Court case law seems to support the firefighters as well, although there has been a palpable scaling back of public employee…
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Montana Fire District’s Accident Response Fee Challenged
A Montana resident has filed suit to block a rural fire district from charging an accident response fee to owners of vehicles involved in accidents to which the fire department responds. The Polson Rural Fire District, a fully volunteer operation, has been contemplating imposing such a fee for some time to help offset some of its operating expenses. Accident response fees, which also go by other names such accident recovery fees or crash fees, are charged by many fire departments as a way to offset some of their expenses. Fees are commonly based on the length of time personnel are…
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Florida Fire Chief In Hot Water Over EMS Transport
The fire chief in Edgewater, Florida has gotten himself in hot water with the county EMS coordinator for ordering a patient to be transported to the hospital in a fire department vehicle rather than waiting for a private ambulance to arrive from South Daytona. Dr. Peter Springer, the medical director for Volusia Emergency Medical Services, has suspended the right of Fire Chief Stephen Cousins to practice as a paramedic. The chief claims his actions were motivated by an incident that occurred on January 8, 2010 when a 32-year-old woman with asthma died waiting for a delayed EVAC ambulance to arrive. In…
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Four Cases From Todays News Headlines
Its been a busy day news wise, and four stories caught my attention. In San Francisco, two fire department applicants have filed suit in state court alleging they were discriminated against because they have diabetes. From the write up, it appears there is more to the story as both were career firefighters Presidio Fire Department, one serving as union president and the other as secretary treasurer. However, the suit is focused on the narrow issue of disability discrimination. In New York, a firefighter has filed suit against FDNY alleging that the department is not following safe maritime practices. Firefighter Frederick…
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