Tag Archives: negligent training

A Rhode Island fire lieutenant who claims he was assaulted in the firehouse by a deputy chief has filed suit in US District Court against the fire department, the firefighters’ union and the deputy chief. Cranston Lieutenant Scott Bergantino filed suit last week naming the City of Cranston, IAFF Local 1363, and Deputy Chief Paul Valletta as defendants.

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Today’s burning question: Are there cases out there where a fire department was held liable for not having a qualified chief officer(s)? Our fire board does not seem to care that our chief has no qualifications what-so-ever. Answer: Negligent selection, failure to train, and negligent supervision are very common allegations in law suits. The problem is the implication of the question: is the main reason we want qualified people to serve as chief officers because we are scared of being sued…

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An innocent man who spent 14 months in jail on arson charges has filed suit against the city of Phoenix and the arson investigators who accused him of setting the fire. Carl Vincent Ball Caples filed suit in Maricopia County Superior Court last week claiming the city failed to hire properly trained investigators, failed to provide the investigators with proper training, and permitted them to use outdated and discredited investigation techniques leading to his wrongful arrest and incarceration.

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Today’s burning question: Can a fire department be held liable for the conduct of a group of off-duty firefighters who get in a bar-room brawl? Answer: Before reading a ruling by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court ...

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