Awful But Lawful

A fire chief in New Hampshire has lost his bid to be reinstated. Strafford County Superior Court Judge Brian Tucker concluded that the Town of New Durham was within its rights to terminate Fire Chief Peter Varney without cause back in 2014.

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In a ruling that seems to have surprised the media and many firefighters, the drunk driving case against San Francisco firefighter Michael Quinn has been dismissed. Quinn was driving a ladder truck that struck and nearly killed a motorcyclist, Jack Frazier, on June 29, 2013. A security camera captured the dramatic incident.

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In this episode of Fire Law, Rialto, California firefighter Nick DeLia explains how his lawsuit ended up being heard by the US Supreme Court. The case involves a 4th Amendment issue related to an internal affairs investigation that occurred while FF DeLia was off injured and suspected of working another job.

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A volunteer fire department in New York has been successful in convincing a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by local activists who hoped to block an annual squirrel hunt fundraiser. Lauren Sheive sued the Holley Fire Department in hopes of ending the “Hazzard County Squirrel Slam.” Sheive claimed the event violates the State Environmental Quality Review Act. ...

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In a stunning reversal the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that the Town of North Kingstown was justified in increasing the hours of its firefighters by 14 hours per week without bargaining because the firefighters' union failed to meet a statutory deadline.

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A ten-year legal battle over the assignment of an engine company to participate in an annual gay-pride parade in Providence, Rhode Island has come to a close with the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling in favor of the fire department...

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Today’s burning question: I am a firefighter and I was seriously hurt while off duty. While recuperating, the city stopped my health care even though I had not exhausted all of my paid sick leave. Can they do that? Answer: According to the US District Court for the Western District of Virginia, they can!

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