Baltimore County Fire Accused of Failing to Promptly Investigate Harassment Allegations

The US Attorney’s Office has announced it has both filed suit against the Baltimore County Fire Department for sexual harassment, and simultaneously settled the suit through a pre-arranged settlement agreement. The suit filed today alleges BCFD mishandled an investigation into the sharing of inappropriate photos of female firefighters.

Medics and FD Sued Over Photos of Shooting Victim

The sister of a man who was shot and killed during Black Lives Matter protests in Cicero, Illinois last summer, has filed suit against two Cicero Fire Department paramedics and a retired lieutenant for taking and sharing photos of his body. Adriana Cazares filed suit today naming Frank R. Rand, Justin Zheng, Gene Lazcano and the Town of Cicero as defendants.

Emergency Scene Photos and Expectation of Privacy in Gated Communities

Today’s burning question: I serve as the photographer for my department. In my station’s first due district we have a gated community. In the event of a response into the development, would the residents have a greater expectation of privacy from photo-taking since the area is gated? Answer: The short answer is the taking of the photos/video is probably legal, but the use of the photos/video is what is more likely to get you into trouble.

My Girlfriend Is On Fire and More

Four cases top the fire law news today, one worse than next. Three involve EMS personnel, two involve criminal activity, one is international, one involves digital imagery and one involves a dispatcher. In Tennessee, the former EMS director of Bledsoe ...

FDNY and Bad Lieutenant Sued over Social Media Posts

The FDNY EMS lieutenant at the center of a major social media scandal that broke last March, has been sued by a woman who’s photo he posted on Twitter. Timothy Dluhos aka The Bad Lieutenant, resigned last spring shortly after ...

Omaha Photos Spark Police Investigation

Photos taken inside an Omaha fire station have prompted the mayor to order a police investigation. Mayor Jean Stothert, who was sued earlier this month by firefighters over her decision to breach an agreement to meet NFPA 1710's staffing requirements, ...

Maryland AG Says Patient Photos Trigger HIPAA

The Maryland Attorney General’s office has issued a memo to EMS providers and personnel stating that photos taken of patients who are identifiable constitutes “individually identifiable health information” under HIPAA, the release of which through any means (including social media) ...

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