Tag Archives: policies

A federal court in Texas has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a homeless man who was beaten by a Dallas firefighter in 2019. Kyle Vess filed suit against the City of Dallas and firefighter Brad Cox alleging a violation of his civil rights under 42 USC § 1983.

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Today’s burning question: We recently purchased harnesses and bailout kits for all of our members. What is the best way to word the SOG to protect the department liability-wise in the event members refuse to wear the kit? Answer: Great question. First of all, you really have two separate questions and despite your concerns about liability, neither of them are liability questions.

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Today’s burning question: Many of our policies have a boilerplate statement saying that “company officers shall enforce this policy” and the “failure to follow this policy will result in disciplinary action.” Is this language really necessary? Answer: While there is nothing inherently wrong with such language… I am not a fan of it. It implies that your members are not inclined to follow the rules unless threatened…

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There is a case pending before the Ohio Supreme Court that raises some important considerations for fire departments, and in particular questions about a department’s policy for emergency response driving. The case arose out of an apparatus accident in Canton, Ohio on ...

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