St. Pete Firefighters Sue MSA Over Cairns 1044 Helmets

Posted by: Curt Varone February 26, 2015 5 Comments

Four St. Petersburg, Florida firefighters filed suit against Mine Safety Appliances and a local vendor earlier this month claiming that their Cairns 1044 fire helmets injured their necks and backs. They join firefighter Scott Crowell who filed the identical suit in 2013.

The four firefighters, Francis Thomas, Robert Henderson, Gregory Harvin, and Christopher Henderson, along with Crowell are suing MSA and Ten-8 Fire Equipment, Inc. claiming that the helmets are too heavy and poorly designed.

Their attorney, Jim Magazine, was quoted by the Tampa Bay Times as saying:

  • “The problem with the design is that they’re heavier than the other helmets, and they’re not as balanced”
  • “This helmet’s a recipe for disaster.”
  • “The model these guys got is a bad model.”
  • “We believe this is going to be a nationwide case.”

Prior to 2010, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue issued the smaller Philadelphia style helmets, but switched to the more traditional style. According to Fire Chief Jim Large, approximately 90 percent of firefighters at the department are now outfitted with Cairns and he’s heard no complaints about them. “We’re not changing out any 1044 Cairns. …We’re not testing new helmets.” The city was not named in any of the five suits.

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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