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Deep Dive: $31.5 Million Verdict in Illinois LODD Case
In this edition of Fire Law VLOG, Curt and Brad are joined by Chief Gary Ludwig (ret.) and attorney Michael Gallagher to discuss the $31.5 million jury verdict in favor of the widow of Sterling Fire Lieutenant Garrett Ramos. Lt. Ramos was killed in a fire in Rock Falls, IL. In December, 2021. Mike represented Mrs. Ramos, and Chief Lugwig served as an expert witness in the case. Here is our earlier coverage.
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California Battalion Chiefs File FLSA Suit Seeking Overtime
A group of current and former Battalion Chiefs with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District have filed suit alleging the District misclassified them as exempt employees and failed to pay overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The case was filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court on October 16, 2025, and was removed by the District to federal court on November 19, 2025.
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FLSA Update for November 20, 2025
In this edition of Fire Law VLOG, Curt and Bill Maccarone discuss recent trends in fire service wage and hour cases, including regular rate, executive exemption, volunteers, the reintroduction of opinion letters and the PAID program by the Trump administration, and the exemption of overtime compensation from federal income tax. Want more? Join us in Deland, Florida December 9-11, 2026 for FLSA for Fire Departments. Can’t make it to Florida? How about Houston, Texas February 3-5, 2026.
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Tallahassee Sued Over Fire Services Fee Charged Through Utility Bills
A group of Tallahassee residents and a local government-watchdog nonprofit have filed suit against the City of Tallahassee challenging the legality of the city’s long-standing Fire Services Fee. The lawsuit was filed November 17, 2025, in Leon County Circuit Court by former mayor Dorothy Inman-Johnson, Deborah Cozart-Hawkins, Jamila Robinson, and Citizens for Government Accountability Inc.
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Military Veteran and Advocacy Group Challenge Boston’s Hiring Practices
A disabled military veteran and a Boston-based veterans advocacy organization have filed suit in Suffolk County Superior Court challenging the Boston Fire Department’s recent hiring practices. The lawsuit contends that the City’s use of its new firefighter cadet program, along with a recently adopted “hybrid” hiring process, has improperly reduced opportunities for veterans seeking appointment to the department.
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New Jersey Firefighter Files $25 Million Federal Civil Rights Suit Over Noose Incidents
A Bloomfield firefighter has filed suit in federal court alleging racial discrimination and a hostile work environment stemming from two separate incidents in which a coworker displayed and threw a noose at him during department training sessions. The complaint was filed November 16, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey by firefighter Patrick Thomas against the Township of Bloomfield.
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Fire Law Roundup for November 17, 2025
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 17, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a verdict awarding $31.5 million to the widow of an Illinois fire lieutenant who died in the line of duty; a lawsuit filed against a NC fire department and several other agencies by the family of a six-year-old girl who died over Memorial Day weekend in 2024; a wrongful termination suit filed by a Nevada firefighter; the indictment of three former NC fire officers for sabotaging the department’s computer system when they left; and the dismissal of a vaccine mandate lawsuit in Los Angeles. Widow…
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Widow of Illinois Firefighter Awarded $31.5 Million in Wrongful-Death Trial
A jury in Whiteside County, Illinois, has returned a verdict of $31.5 million in favor of the widow and two young daughters of Garrett Ramos, a lieutenant with the Sterling Fire Department, who died in the line of duty in December 2021.
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Parents of Six-Year-Old File Federal Civil Rights Suit Alleging Evidence Concealment in Death Investigation
The parents of a six-year-old girl who died over Memorial Day weekend in 2024 have filed a federal lawsuit alleging a coordinated effort among several North Carolina agencies— including the Dallas (NC) Fire Department — to conceal evidence of trauma and falsely classify their daughter’s death as an accidental drowning
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Nevada Firefighter Files Race Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Suit
A former Clark County firefighter recruit has filed suit in federal court alleging discrimination, harassment, and retaliation during his probationary period with the Clark County Fire Department. The complaint was filed November 11, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada by Oscar Pavon, a member of Recruit Class 24-1.
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Three Former North Carolina Fire Officers Indicted for Computer Crimes and Tampering with Public Safety Systems
Three former members of the Stanley Fire Department in North Carolina have been indicted following a joint investigation into what officials described as deliberate acts that disrupted emergency operations and endangered public safety.
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Federal Court Dismisses COVID Vaccine Mandate Lawsuit by Los Angeles Employees
A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by more than 140 current and former Los Angeles city employees challenging the City’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The plaintiffs, who included city firefighters and other employees, brought seven causes of action under 42 U.S.C. §1983, alleging violations of their constitutional rights arising from the City’s 2021 ordinance requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain a medical or religious exemption.
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Fire Law Roundup for November 10, 2025
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 10, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful termination suit filed by the former human resources director for the Seattle Fire Department; a suit brought by female firefighter in New Castle, Pennsylvania alleging harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; a disability discrimination and retaliation suit filed by a former firefighter has filed suit in federal court; a wrongful termination suit by a Paducah fire captain and union president alleging that his termination in October constituted retaliation for his union involvement; and a decision by a Virginia court who issued an injunction to block…
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Former Seattle Fire HR Director Files Claim Alleging Sexism, Drinking on Duty, and Retaliation
The former human resources director for the Seattle Fire Department has filed a tort claim with the City of Seattle alleging she was terminated in retaliation for reporting misconduct, on-duty drinking, and sexism within the department.
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