You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

A US District Court judge has issued an preliminary injunction ordering the city of East Chicago, Indiana to return its firefighters to a 24-48 schedule. Judge Simon concluded that Mayor Copeland forced the firefighters to a schedule in retaliation for supporting an opposing candidate in violation of their 1st Amend. rights.

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The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a sexual harassment suit brought against the Houston Fire Department by a female firefighter. Melinda Abbt brought the action in 2019 after discovering that male firefighters obtained a nude video of her, and watched it multiple times over a period of years.

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The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against FDNY alleging a violation of the state’s Freedom of Information Act by not providing requested public records. The suit was filed in Kings County Supreme Court and seeks access to FDNY’s disciplinary records.

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A volunteer fire company in Darby Township, Pennsylvania, has been suspended by township officials following allegations that racial slurs and racist remarks were made during a virtual meeting in late January. The Briarcliffe Fire Company was suspended by the Darby Township’s Board of Commissioners yesterday.

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The family of a woman who died of a drug overdose following a party attended by several members of the North Las Vegas Fire Department has filed suit against the city, the woman’s firefighter-husband, and four other firefighters. Tiffany Slatsky died on February 23, 2020 following unsuccessful efforts by her firefighter-husband, Christopher Candito, to administer narcan to her.

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The Houston Fire Department is dealing with the aftermath of comments made by a firefighter following a housefire over the weekend. The fire destroyed a home belonging to the Reed family, leaving the family of eight seeking shelter.

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The family of an Oregon woman who died of COVID in 2020, has filed suit against the fire department and several firefighters claiming their refusal to treat and transport the victim led to her death. Teresa Vaughn died on December 26, 2020, hours after firefighters from the Klamath County Fire District No. 1 suggested her domestic partner drive her to the hospital.

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The Rialto Fire Department is investigating allegations that two of its medics refused to enter a medical facility to treat and transport a man in cardiac arrest. The incident occurred on November 17, 2021, and some of it was captured on the body-cam of a local police officer.

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This session of Fire Law Vlog is the introduction of what we hope will be a new vehicle for educating those concerned with leadership and legal issues in the fire service. Curt and Brad Pinsky discuss the fire law headlines ...

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The owner of a Las Vegas property who is facing manslaughter charges over a multi-fatality fire in 2019, has filed suit against the city and his fire alarm company, alleging they and others are responsible for the fire deaths.

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Another week, another new COVID related headline. The Los Angeles City Fire Department is investigating allegations that a firefighter dropped his pants and wiped his butt with a notice related to his non-compliance with the city’s vaccine requirements.

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An Illinois firefighter has been charged with stealing over $40,000 from a firefighters’ association that he served as treasurer for. John A. Kuhl, 54, has been charged with stealing the money from the McHenry Firefighters Association.

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The Chicago Inspector General’s Office has issued a press release and a five-page advisory outlining its multi-year investigation into the mysterious disappearance of several hundred Chicago Fire Department badges. A total of 340 badges had been reported as lost or stolen between January 1, 2015, through June 30, 2020.

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Los Angeles County has agreed to settle the claims of two of the four families who filed suits over crash scene photos taken by emergency responders at the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash. The January 26, 2021 crash killed nine people including Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter.

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