Portland Fire Boat Mishap Leads to Discipline

Posted by: Curt Varone October 24, 2011 1 Comment

A captain and a firefighter from Portland, Maine have been suspended following a marine mishap with a fire boat that resulted in approximately $38,000 worth of damage.

Captain Christopher Goodall and Firefighter Joseph Murphy were operating The City of Portland IV on October 15, 2011 when it ran aground.  Murphy was piloting the vessel at the time, received a 3 day suspension, while Captain Goodall received a 10 day suspension.

Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard has initiated an investigation into the incident, and why the accident was not reported. According to a city spokesperson, officials were not aware they had to report vessel accidents to the Coast Guard.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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