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Undeterred by criminal charges, Fillmore fire chief sues to get job back
The former fire chief of Fillmore, California has filed suit against the city for wrongful termination despite his having been charged with three counts of grand theft and one count of embezzlement. Peter Egedi was fired him in October, 2008 after allegations surfaced that he misappropriated thousands of dollars when he was chief. He was suspended in April, 2008 pending an investigation. In August, 2009, Egedi was formally charged with four felony counts by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. He pled not guilty to the charges and is free on $10,000 bail. If convicted, he could face over four years…
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Twin Brothers Accused in Thefts from Martin County Fire Rescue
WPTV is reporting that twin brothers, one of whom was a firefighter, are responsible for the thefts.
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Body Missed During Search Prompts Lawsuit Against Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire Department has been sued by the family of a man who died in a fire in 2009. The suit alleges that the failure of the firefighters to find the man during searches of the building contributed to his death. Crosby Lipscomb, a retired public school janitor, died on April 6, 2009 in the basement of a home at 3534 West Polk Street. The fire was ruled accidental and attributed to cooking. The fire department did not find Lipscomb’s body at the scene. Family members claim the fire department assured them they had done a thorough search and no one…
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Police-Fire Wars: Another Firefighter Arrested In The Line Of Duty – Leadville
The latest skirmish in the ongoing police-fire wars occurred in Leadville, Colorado on March 27, 2010, where Fire Captain Daniel Dailey was arrested and charged with "obstruction of a governmental operation". Captain Dailey of the City of Leadville Fire Department and two firefighters responded on an EMS run to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. When they arrived, county sheriffs refused to allow the crew to access to the patient, claiming they only called for an ambulance. According to the sheriff's office the deputies on duty were concerned that additional personnel might further upset the patient, a victim of domestic violence…
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Video Evidence Not Enough in Austin Sex Harassment Case
A Texas jury has ruled in favor of the Austin Fire Department in a gender discrimination case brought by a female firefighter. Firefighter Nona Allen claimed she was subjected to a hostile work environment, and produced several videos to support her case. Here is one of them: The jury rendered their verdict on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 and according to one web source concluded Allen had been harassed, and that the city knew about the harassment, but disagreed that the harassment was so severe that it affected the terms and conditions of her employment. The verdict is unusual in that most…
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Scantily Clad Women on Orlando Engine Prompts Investigation
Some Orlando firefighters have found themselves in hot water after a "concerned citizen" complained to the mayor about seeing aproximately twelve scantily clad women on a fire truck posing for pictures, kissing firefighters, spilling drinks, etc. The concerned citizen include a photo in a letter to Mayor Buddy Dyer. An investigation has been initiated.
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Old 911 Technology Alleged to have Caused 28 Minute Delay In Deadly NY Fire
On December 23, 2009, Zia Ansari lost his father and two sisters in a fire in Erie County, New York. He is now filing suit against local officials alleging that a delay in dispatching fire apparatus contributed to the outcome. The fire killed Faaiza Ansari and Saaiba Ansari, and their father, Mohammad. At 2:56 am, one of the sisters made a 911 call using a cellphone. However, it appears she was incapacitated and unable to speak. The call lasted 3 1/2 minutes, and all she could muster was a scream, but no explanation of the problem or address. "All you…
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Political Signs and Firefighters: 1st Amendment Case
A Federal Court in New Jersey last week ruled against a firefighter who claimed his department violated his 1st and 14th Amendment rights. Edison firefighter Peter Yackel parked his personal pickup truck in the parking lot of his firehouse on June 1, 2009 when he went to work. The problem was the truck bore a large political sign stating "Choi Lies! Save Public Safety In Edison." Also June 2, 2009 was election day, and Mayor Choi was seeking re-election. And city personnel rules prohibit engaging in political activities while on duty. Later that day Yackel was instructed to move the…
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Bailout Law for Firefighters
When someone refers to a bailout law these days, it’s usually got something to do with the current economic crisis. However, the state of New York State Department of Labor Code recently issued a new occupational safety and health regulation that requires fire departments to address firefighter self rescue and emergency escape. The law requires “an employer who employs firefighters”… [don’t you love bureaucrats…. an employer who employs firefighters….] to conduct a written risk assessment to determine if personnel at structure fires are “reasonably expected to be exposed to the risk of entrapment at elevations”. If the risk assessment indicates that…
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Theft By Firefighters From Volunteer Fire Departments
This video is about a recent theft that occurred in the Cattaraugus, New York Fire Department. While we like to think that such conduct is rare – it is occurring frequently enough that all volunteer fire departments need to take some precautions. Consider the following cases: Already this year, Jack Micah Feltner, the treasurer of the Oak Hill Volunteer Department in West Virginia was charged with stealing more than $375,000 in payments from the city of Oak Hill intended for volunteer firefighters. Also this year Henry Swincinski of the Windber, PA Fire Department was charged with stealing more than $284,000…
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Charleston Families Argue That City Should NOT Be Kept In Lawsuit
The June 18, 2007 Charleston Sofa Super Store fire is in the headlines again, this time on the civil suit side. On March 12, 2010, the South Carolina Court of Appeals refused to dismiss an appeal filed by the store owners over a trial court ruling to dismiss the city of Charleston from the case. The city was dismissed from the suit last summer because under South Carolina law it is immune from liability. The families of eight of the nine the deceased firefighters had asked the Court of Appeals to dismiss the appeal. The parties have 30 days to…
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Family Members Press for Criminal Charges in Charleston
The Charleston Post and Courier ran a story today indicating that state law enforcement officials were investigating possible criminal charges against the fire chief and fireground commanders in the June 18, 2007 Sofa Super Store fire that claimed the lives of 9 Charleston Firefighters. As we have seen in other cases where criminal charges have been filed against firefighters, it has been the family members of deceased firefighters that have been pressuring governmental officials to file the criminal charges. Recall the 30 Mile Fire in Washington state in July, 2001 that killed 4 Federal firefighters. Family members of the deceased…
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Residents Sue to Block Fire Station Renovation: But Why?
Plans to renovate and expand the fire station in the Village of Fayetteville, NY ran into some unanticipated legal difficulties last week when two Fayetteville residents filed a lawsuit contending that the expansion would violate certain restrictive covenants in the deed to the property. In June 2009 village residents approved a proposal to renovate the station. Officials say the upgrades are necessary to provide room for EMS vehicles and equipment. The plans call for tearing down part of the existing station and building a new, larger emergency medical services wing. The cost of the renovations is budgeted at $6.45 million. The property…
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Actual Malice: Fire Chief’s Suit Dismissed
Being a fire chief is not an easy job. It fact for many reasons it may very well be the worst job on the department. Bernie Becker was the fire chief in Clearcreek Township, Ohio for 11 years. During his tenure he was subjected to repeated accusations of misconduct by the union. In February, 2008 the union accused Chief Becker of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and abuse of power in a written complaint made to township officials. The complaint alleged 15 different incidents, and somehow found its way to the hands of the media. Chief Becker chose…
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