Professional Standards

A fire captain in Spokane, Washington who was terminated last Friday for threatening a subordinate has filed a $2.5 million claim against the department. Captain Kevin Smathers claims that the fire department failed to protect him from retaliation by a ...

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McAllen, Texas firefighter Robert Vargas has once again been given his job back by a hearing examiner. Vargas had been given an “indefinite suspension” (the Texas euphemism for termination) last spring for working as a substitute school nurse while on ...

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An Ohio fire chief who was terminated in March because he allegedly allowed a friend of his to assist at a fire, has filed a second lawsuit against the township trustees who fired him, this time claiming a violation of ...

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Today’s burning question: Two years ago while at the scene of a fire, a homeowner accused my fire department of stealing money from her bedroom. Because my crew was the only one to enter the bedroom to check for extension, ...

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A firefighter with the Lakeland Fire Department who was caught up in a sex scandal involving Lakeland police officers has chosen to resign. David Bivens resigned yesterday just before his pre-disciplinary hearing was set to begin.

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On the third day of testimony before a federal jury, a settlement has been announced in the Sacramento Metro sex scandal coverup case. The suit was brought by Fire Captain Mark Thomsen, a 19 year veteran who claims he was ...

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A seven-year-old wrongful termination suit arising out of a nasty sexual misconduct scandal is finally headed to a federal jury. The suit was brought by Fire Captain Mark Thomsen, a 19 year veteran with the Sacramento Metro Fire Department who ...

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The release of an internal audit of the Los Angeles City Fire Department’s alternative investigation process seems not only to have criticized the department, it appears to have totally confused many media outlets who are reporting that the audit faulted ...

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  Here is a follow up to a story we covered two weeks ago. The Tucson captain who was accused of committing lewd acts on a subordinate that led to a $125,000 settlement, has had his rank restored by the ...

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Seven firefighters from Pullman, Washington have been awarded $1 million in damages in a mind-boggling case worthy of a novel, if not a movie. The case included allegations of a workplace affair, vindictive retaliation, sexual harassment, an officer asking subordinates ...

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