Today’s Burning Question: I was responsible for installing an outdoor fireplace at house in Hollywood that was going to be used in a television show and…. well… we took some shortcuts in how we built it. The biggest issue was ...

Read More »

The convoluted disciplinary case of a Bourne, Massachusetts firefighter that included grievances, unfair labor practices, civil service proceedings, state court proceedings, and even a Federal lawsuit has been resolved. In February, 2011 firefighter Richard Doherty was terminated over a number ...

Read More »

When is a demotion not a demotion? That is the question for the Tulsa city council to decide when it handles the case of Chief Jeremy Moore perhaps as soon as this evening. One day Chief Moore was the Administrative ...

Read More »

The city of Merced, California has agreed to pay a firefighter candidate $425,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. Ryan Staiger was offered a job as a Merced firefighter in 2007, but was considered to be medically unfit due to ...

Read More »

At what point does a volunteer firefighter who receives some nominal compensation for his services become an underpaid employee entitled to at least minimum wage? That question was recently put to the test in Key Largo, Florida when Corey Freeman ...

Read More »

An Ohio firefighter who lost both legs in a tragic on-scene accident has filed suit against a neighboring fire department and three of its firefighters. Firefighter Josef Tadijanac of the Washington Township Fire Department, was pinned between two tanker-tenders on ...

Read More »

A small Minnesota fire department has received an early Christmas present, courtesy of a bequest from a local resident who was grateful for the hard work and thoughtfulness of the firefighters. Eleanor Sanford, 99, of Dakota, died in September and ...

Read More »

Volunteer fire departments in two states are in the news as they battle with their fire district overseers to determine who can control what. In issue in each case is a common question: can a fire district remove a fire ...

Read More »

“I don’t agree with what he put, but I can’t discipline someone because of something that they said.”  With those words, Fire Chief John McGuire last night announced he would not be disciplining Swansea firefighter Kody Koudelka over a Facebook ...

Read More »

The Fresno Fire Department is facing a race discrimination suit from a firefighter who is also the leading vote-getter in the election for city council in Tulare. Carlton Jones claims he was wrongly suspended in 2009 when he was arrested for ...

Read More »

There are so many possible titles for this story it was hard to pick: You can run but you cannot hide Due process: how much process is due? Or even one of several that start with “knock knock…who’s there” For ...

Read More »

One of the areas of my law practice that has been exceptionally busy over the past few years has been firefighter discipline. Many departments are experiencing unprecedented disciplinary issues – and while we can debate the various factors that are ...

Read More »

A fire that destroyed a fire department tanker (or tender if you are so inclined) in Union, Maine, has prompted a lawsuit by the town against the auto repair shop that had previously repaired the vehicle’s engine. The tanker, a ...

Read More »

Its been a busy day in the Fire Law world. So many cases, so little time. In Florida the seeming endless case of West Palm Beach captain Rick Curtis is in the news yet again (July 2, 2010 post; December ...

Read More »