Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Two members of an Ontario fire department are no longer with the department following allegations of sexual harassment that led to a civil lawsuit, and the resignation of the fire chief. Their departure appears to be associated with a civil suit filed earlier this year by two female firefighters from the Leduc Fire Department alleging they were exposed to systemic harassment, bullying and discrimination.

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A Rhode Island firefighter who was terminated after exhausting his accrued sick leave, has lost his federal court lawsuit alleging breach of contract, whistleblower violations, and a violation of his First Amendment rights. Fred Melnyk was a firefighter for the Town of Little Compton prior to his termination in 2019.

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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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A lawsuit filed against two Cicero Fire Department paramedics and a retired lieutenant for taking and sharing a photo of a victim who was shot at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, has been dismissed. The suit was brought by the family of Victor Cazares, who was shot and killed while trying to protect a local grocery store from rioters on June 1, 2020.

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In this edition of Fire Law Roundup for March 28, 2022, Brad, Curt and Bill discuss the $2 million settlement of an FLSA overtime suit in Kansas City, MO; a lawsuit against a fire department over a sledding accident in South Carolina; and more...

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A South Carolina man who collided with a fire department vehicle while sledding earlier this year, has filed suit against two firefighters and the fire department. Randy Burnett filed suit against the Blacksburg Volunteer Fire Department, Captain Brandon Wilson and FF Jonathan Smith.

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A firefighter-paramedic with the Dothan Fire Department has been charged in connection with the theft of 42 vials of fentanyl from the department’s inventory. Jesse R. Taylor was arrested by Dothan police and charged with trafficking fentanyl and theft.

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A female firefighter who was secretly recorded by a voyeuristic colleague has filed suit against the fire department and the member. The lawsuit accuses former firefighter Patrick Nicholson, East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Jefferson County with violating the victim’s civil rights, wiretap violations, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and trespass.

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A US District Court has adopted a magistrate's recommendation that state law claims brought against a South Carolina paramedic in a ketamine-related wrongful death suit, continue. The suit was filed by the estate of James Claude Britt, Jr., who died on October 30, 2019, several weeks after the September 30, 2019 incident in Charleston County.

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A California firefighter who was arrested last December after investigators uncovered child pornography on electronic devices at his firehouse and his home, has pled no contest to possession of child pornography. Kern County firefighter Christopher Vega resigned from the fire department January 14, 2022.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, Brad and Curt discuss a LODD apparatus accident case out of Texas, a reckless driving with an engine case from Virginia, a fire chief theft case out of Louisiana, sexual harassment cases from Texas and Virginia, and several more from beyond the blog.

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A Texas court has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed against a volunteer firefighter who struck two other firefighters, killing one of them. Steven Paul Henderson and Robert Popp were struck by John Weston Roades on October 7, 2019. Henderson died from his injuries.

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A volunteer firefighter in Virginia who was facing reckless driving charges following an apparatus accident, has agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of improper driving. Conor Wright, 25, was driving a Front Royal Fire and Rescue engine back to quarters at the time.

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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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