Dispatch & Communications

Philly Not Liable for Fire Deaths

The City of Philadelphia will not have to pay damages to the estates of three people who died in a fire in 2018, according to a US Third Circuit of Appeals ruling handed down today. While the facts may have made for a rather compelling case, in the end the law was on the city’s side.

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Michigan County Sued Over Dispatch Error

The family of a fourteen-year old who died after suffering an asthma-attack that left him brain-dead on life-support, has filed suit against Monroe County and a county dispatcher that they claim mishandled the 911 call. Bobby Reyes experienced difficulty breathing on September 21, 2019, prompting his mother, Sarah Jones, to initially help him search for his inhaler.

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Louisiana Fire Dispatchers Claim Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

Three dispatchers for the Jefferson Parish East Bank Consolidated Fire Protection Bureau have filed suit alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. Monica Mitchell, Melissa Burkett, and Tammy Cavanaugh claim their supervisor, Robert Funk, discriminated against them and subjected them to a hostile work environment.

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Orange County Fire Authority Sued For Retaliation

Two California dispatchers who were terminated last year, have filed suit accusing the Orange County Fire Authority, a deputy chief and the dispatch center manager of unlawfully retaliating against them for raising legitimate concerns. Fire Communication Supervisor Megan Soman claims she was terminated after expressing her dissatisfaction with the termination of one of her subordinates, Travis Fader.

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Michigan Dispatchers Sued for $25 Million

Two Michigan dispatchers are facing a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of a man who died when numerous 911 calls went unanswered because one of the dispatchers was “having a bad day.” The Estate of Stephen Greene filed suit in Wayne County Circuit Court last week naming former Canton Township dispatchers Rachel Rowell and Joshua Choroba

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NY Fatal Fire Prompts Suit

The father of a 6-year-old girl who was killed in a fire last year, has filed suit against the landlord, the local fire department, and a chief officer. The suit alleges the local volunteer fire department failed to call a nearby career department.

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Lawsuit Against FDNY Over Dispatching Error Reinstated

A NY Supreme Court judge has reinstated a lawsuit against FDNY over a dispatching error to a drowning incident in 2014. The suit had been dismissed in 2016 because the mother of the victim failed to file a notice of claim with the city in a timely manner. The victim, a four-year-old girl, fell into a backyard swimming pool and was discovered floating unconscious. Her father, an emergency room physician, initiated CPR while others called 911

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Orange County Fire Rescue Sued Over Murder-Suicide

Orange County Fire Rescue along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are facing a negligence lawsuit brought by the son of a woman who was murdered last year. Juanita Childs-Hughes died in a murder suicide perpetrated by her husband, Taylor Hughes. Childs-Hughes was on the phone with dispatchers reporting smoke in the building when she was shot.

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Twice Fired New Mexico Firefighter Sues County

A former Albuquerque firefighter who was fired for hanging up on a frantic 911 caller in 2015 because the caller swore at him, is filing suit against the Bernalillo County Fire Department who hired and then abruptly fired him. Matthew Sanchez was fired by the Albuquerque Fire Department shortly after the shooting death of 17 year-old Jaydon Chavez-Silver.

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