Dispute Over Social Club Prompts Lawsuit Between Volunteer Fire Company and Its Leadership

A dispute over the viability of a Pennsylvania fire company’s social club has prompted a lawsuit to determine if the club should reopen. Three members of the Snow Shoe Volunteer Fire Company filed suit in June to block the social club’s reopening.

The suit filed by President Thomas Moore, Fire Chief Beau Martin and Treasurer Nichole McClellan claims that the club is not in the fire company’s best interest. The club was closed in April.

The Centre Daily Times quoted from the lawsuit as saying “The Fireman’s Club in its current controlling, governing configuration freezes out firefighters and diverts the allocation of very scarce financial resources to non-fire company services.”

 

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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