At will employment

A former San Bernardino County division chief who was awarded $600,000 in 2016 for age-discrimination, has prevailed on the county’s appeal. Division Chief George Corley was terminated by the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District in 2012 because his management style conflicted with that of newly appointed Fire Chief Mark Hartwig

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A federal court in Tennessee has ruled against a former fire chief who claimed his termination last year violated his due process and 1st Amendment rights. Cocke County Fire Chief William Smallwood was fired last March by County Mayor Crystal Ottinge

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A fire chief who was fired last December one day after he assisted with a marijuana bust, has filed suit alleging he was terminated because he refused to cave in to political pressure from city officials to be more lenient to marijuana business.

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A painful chapter in the Shreveport Fire Department has finally come to a close with the announcement of a settlement in the wrongful termination appeal of former Fire Chief Craig Mulford. You may recalled in 2014, five Shreveport firefighters were charged criminally with abusing mentally challenged men who frequented their firehouse.

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The City of Chula Vista has settled a discrimination suit with a former deputy chief for $2.1 million. Deputy Chief James Garcia was fired in 2015 hours after the department learned he needed surgery on his neck.

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Today’s burning question: I was a probationary firefighter and used accrued sick and vacation leave to take care of my wife and children, but my employer fired me. Do I have a case? Answer: While as a probationary employee you are an employee at-will, an employer cannot discriminate nor violate statutory rights that are granted by state and federal law.

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A Pennsylvania Fire Chief has been terminated for taking a ladder truck out of town to a funeral for a firefighter from a neighboring department. The Slatington Borough Council voted to terminate Fire Chief Keith Weaver for insubordination last week.

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A Michigan firefighter who was terminated last August has filed a whistleblower suit claiming his dismissal was retaliation for reporting the fire chief for responding to an alarm after drinking. Matt Halicek claims his problems began last November when Clare Fire Chief Jim Chapman responded on a mutual aid run with alcohol on his breath.

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A YCMTSU case we discussed two years ago has come to a conclusion with Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that a firefighter candidate who has a conditional offer of employment does not have a sufficient property interest to establish a right to due process.

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A New York police officer who was terminated last month has filed a wrongful termination suit alleging he was dismissed in retaliation for his having arrested two well-connected men, including an assistant fire chief.

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A Florida battalion chief who was fired last year for making an assortment of offensive comments, has filed suit claiming the city violated the Florida Firefighter Bill of Rights and his right to due process in its haste to discipline him.

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A former British Columbia fire chief has filed suit claiming he was wrongfully terminated following a battle with post traumatic stress disorder. Penticton Fire Chief Wayne Williams filed suit this week claiming the City of Penticton wrongfully retired him while he was recovering from PTSD

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A nationally known and highly respected fire chief who was unceremoniously terminated by Northville Township in March, has filed suit claiming wrongful termination. Chief Richard Marinucci was told by township officials in March to resign or be fired

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The City of Sheboygan has agreed to settle a suit by former Fire Chief Jeff Hermann over payment for accrued sick and vacation leave. The suit was filed after the city refused to pay Chief Hermann roughly $37,000 in accrued leave when he retired in 2014.

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