Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

A Connecticut court has rejected the appeal of an electric utility following an investigation into its slow response an emergency request by a local fire department. Connecticut Light & Power Co., d/b/a Eversource Energy sought to appeal a decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that found its response to a January 17, 2023 incident to be too slow.

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The City of Durham has entered into a consent decree with the US DOJ in response to claims that the hiring process used by the Durham Fire Department unintentionally created a disparate impact on African Americans. The consent decree resolves allegations that the city “disproportionately excluded African-American applicants from employment" as firefighters.

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The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has upheld the termination of a Chicago firefighter who was fired in 2021 over a series of offensive social media posts. Sam Inendino challenged his termination arguing that despite being offensive, his posts were protected by the First Amendment.

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A New Mexico firefighter who was fired earlier this year, has filed suit claiming he was mistakenly identified as a wanted criminal. Daniel Rubio filed suit in Second Judicial District Court claiming that Bernalillo County wrongfully terminated his employment.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 7, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a UK firefighter sentenced to 20 months in prison for taking and sharing a photos of a dead victim; the arrest of two Alabama firefighters ...

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A UK firefighter has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for taking and sharing photos of the body of a man killed in a car crash. Cameron Hancel took the photos in March, 2023 while working for the West Midlands Fire Service.

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Two Alabama firefighters are facing criminal charges over an incident that occurred on September 20, 2024. The incident involved a firefighter who reportedly refused to stop for the county sheriff while operating a fire truck, and the department’s fire chief who was upset about the arrest.

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An Illinois appellate court has ruled that the failure of a fire investigator to provide a suspect with a Miranda warning prior to an interview, violated her Constitutional rights warranting the reversal of her conviction for arson. Adriane Parke was convicted of arson for a fire that occurred in the Drury Inn in Mt. Vernon, Il.

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A US Magistrate Judge in Georgia has recommended the dismissal of all claims brought by a division chief who was terminated after reporting sexual misconduct by other chief officers. Div. Chief Christopher Cox claims that he was terminated by the City of Calhoun in retaliation for reporting a deputy chief and a battalion chief to the fire chief.

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A Kansas City firefighter-paramedic with two pending employment discrimination lawsuits has agreed to settle both suits, and not file a third, in exchange for a $1.3 million settlement. Rebecca Reynolds, 61, alleged she endured over twenty years of harassment and discrimination.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 30, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a decision reversing punishment for a Muncie fire captain at the center of an alleged cheating scandal; the FDNY connection to the indictment of the ...

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An administrative law judge has reversed the harsh disciplinary sanctions imposed upon a Muncie Fire Department captain in the aftermath of the widely-known cheating scandal that wracked the department last year. Fire Captain Troy Dulaney had both his firefighting and EMS credentials revoked following investigations into alleged cheating by his students of state exams.

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The federal bribery and corruption indictment of New York Mayor Eric Adams has an FDNY connection, alleging that certain chiefs were threatened with termination if they refused to accede to the mayor’s demands to provide preferential treatment for a building under construction for the Turkish government.

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The YCMTSU criminal case against an Ottawa firefighter and his officer arising out of a firehouse scuffle, has come to a close with both being found not guilty of all charges. The scuffle was precipitated by what began as a friendly dispute involving a senior firefighter who wanted to handle dishwashing chores, and a rookie who insisted on doing it themselves.

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