Fire Company Sues County Over Termination

A two-year old dispute between a volunteer fire company and Florida county has landed in court with the fire company claiming the county wrongfully terminated their agreement.

The Keystone Heights Fire Department filed suit against Clay County alleging that the county breached a 15-year agreement that is not scheduled to expire until 2019. The county stopped using the KHFD for emergency response effective April 15, 2013. The parties have been negotiating since then in an effort to resolve their differences.

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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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