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

A firefighter with the FDNY has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of New York and several current and former commissioners, alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.

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A Los Angeles couple who lost their home in the Palisades Fire, have filed suit against the city, the LAFD and the city’s Department of Water and Power, alleging their combined failures caused their damages.

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A civil lawsuit has been filed by a Connecticut EMT against a former EMT-colleague, his parents, and their mutual employer, American Medical Response of Connecticut (AMR), stemming from two alleged kidnapping incidents that occurred in February 2023.

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The Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia has affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a family who claimed that 911 operators mishandled carbon monoxide incident resulting in serious injuries. The suit was brought by three members of the Marchant family over an incident that occurred in February 2018.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 9, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a former Lynchburg, VA fire captain who claimed he was wrongfully terminated for posting anti-transgender content on social ...

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The U.S. Fourth Circuit has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a former Lynchburg, VA fire captain who claimed he was wrongfully terminated for posting anti-transgender content on social media. The high-profile case involved allegations of 1st Amendment violations, religious discrimination, and political retaliation.

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A veteran Indianapolis firefighter has filed suit in federal court alleging that the Indianapolis Fire Department violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to accommodate him following a stroke, and eventually forcing him into early retirement.

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The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a district court’s dismissal of claims brought by an Atlantic City firefighter assigned to administrative duties who sought a religious exemption from the department’s clean-shaven policy.

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A lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, has been removed to federal court, accusing the CAL FIRE and one of its officers of using excessive force during a traffic stop on March 17, 2024. The plaintiff, Antonio Patino, alleges multiple constitutional and state law violations stemming from the incident, which occurred on southbound Highway 17 in Santa Clara County.

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A Hot Springs firefighter has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Hot Springs and Fire Chief Ed Davis, alleging that he was subjected to retaliation and First Amendment violations after speaking out about safety concerns and union matters. ...

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 2, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss an Ohio appellate decision granting firefighters immunity in an EMS-related negligence suit; a lawsuit against a Texas fire department over injuries sustained during a department-sponsored ...

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The Court of Appeals for Ohio’s Fifth Appellate District has reversed a lower court’s denial of summary judgment to several Mansfield first responders and the City of Mansfield, finding that the defendants are entitled to statutory immunity in a case arising from emergency medical treatment provided to a man suffering from a severe asthma attack.

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A woman who was injured at a fire department-sponsored event in 2023, has filed suit against the Everman Fire Department, the City of Everman, and a third party who owned an amusement device involved in the incident. Earlene Wilson filed suit in Tarrant County District Court earlier this week.

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A federal judge in Florida has ruled that District Chiefs in the Orlando Fire Department do not qualify under the First Responder Regulations as hourly employees, and therefore may qualify as exempt from FLSA-mandated overtime. However, the court declined to find them exempt white-collar employees at this juncture in the proceeding.

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