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

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 28, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss five cases from last week, (Charleston SC settlement; Houston dismissal of 12 recruits over social media posts; a NJ fire company with IRS issues; a ...

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For the second week in a row, the volume of Fire Law headlines outpaces the time and space we have to cover them all. Each case is important — and fascinating — in its own right. But with limited time, ...

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The Illinois Appellate Court has affirmed a trial court’s dismissal of a negligence suit brought by a motorist who was injured when her vehicle was struck by a fire department ambulance en route to a call. Gina Postula claims her vehicle was hit by a City of La Salle Fire Department ambulance on April 27, 2023.

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The mother of an infant who died while in state custody, has been granted a protective order against FDNY and other medical providers, mandating them to preserve documentation related to the incident. However, the court declined to grant the mother access to the medical information prior to her filing suit.

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A federal district court has denied the City of Boston’s motion to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit filed by Boston firefighter James Riley and IAFF Local 718, stemming from Riley’s four-tour suspension for sending an email about hazardous sidewalk conditions in front of his firehouse.

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A lawsuit filed by three current and former volunteer firefighters alleging sexual assaults and harassment has been removed to federal court. The suit was originally filed in March 2025 in Ocean County Superior Court by three John Doe plaintiffs.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 21, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss firefighter discipline cases in Pawtucket, RI and Millville, Delaware; a discrimination suit brought by a deputy chief in Virginia over a demotion; a disability suit ...

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Two firefighter discipline cases are in the Fire Law headlines, both involving possible criminal conduct. In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, eight firefighters are out of their jobs, four by resignation and four by termination.

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A Virginia deputy chief who resigned in February after being demoted to battalion chief, has filed suit alleging race discrimination, gender discrimination, and retaliation. Tiffanye Wesley filed suit against Arlington County this week in US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

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An Arizona firefighter who was terminated following her failure to submit to post-accident testing has filed suit claiming disability discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate. Jennifer Martin filed suit against Rural Metro Fire Department, Inc. in US District Court for the District of Arizona.

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A former Providence firefighter who already won a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in 2016, has been awarded $1.75 million in damages for the retaliatory denial of her application for an accidental disability pension. Rescue Lieutenant Lori Franchina filed suit in 2021 claiming the city’s refusal to grant her pension application constituted discrimination.

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In a landmark decision, the New York Supreme Court for Schoharie County has concluded that the New York Department of Health cannot discipline a paramedic through an administrative hearing process, because the Seventh Amendment grants the accused the right to a jury trial. That, in a nutshell, is the holding that our firefighter-attorney colleague, Brad Pinsky, was able to secure.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 14, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss Brad’s landmark victory in Ball v. NY State Health Department; a decision in the wrongful termination case of a Michigan fire chief; an appellate decision ...

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A lawsuit filed by former Michigan fire chief has been dismissed by the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Fire Chief David J. Obreiter was terminated in 2022 by Kalamazoo Township.

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