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

The Washington Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by a fire department mechanic against the City of Tacoma. The case centered on whether the City failed to accommodate Liam Riley’s medical conditions under the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Read More »

A federal judge has granted summary judgment to the City of Manhattan Beach, California, in a First Amendment retaliation case filed by two fire officers. Captains David Shenbaum and Timothy O’Brien sued alleging that they were subjected to retaliatory actions for their union activities and for filing a federal lawsuit against the city.

Read More »

The Appellate Court of Maryland has upheld the dismissal of criminal charges against an Annapolis firefighter who was accused of filing a false special incident report. Firefighter III/Paramedic Bridget Elizabeth Weiss was charged with one count of common law misdemeanor of misconduct in office stemming from an investigation into the death of a patient.

Read More »

The family of a man who died after being injected with a lethal dose of a paralytic agent by a Sioux City Fire Rescue paramedic has filed suit against the city, nine emergency responders, and a physician. James Foster Jr., 26, died on August 18, 2023 after former paramedic Deanna LaMere mistakenly injected him with rocuronium.

Read More »

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for May 19, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss five under-the-radar cases from last week, plus the approval of a settlement of an FLSA suit brought by  Massachusetts firefighters; a discrimination case brought by ...

Read More »

As another week starts, we once again have several cases in the Fire Law headlines. Let’s start with another victory for our friend and colleague, Brad Pinsky.

Read More »

The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has approved a settlement agreement between 118 Brookline firefighters and the Town of Brookline, resolving allegations that the town violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Massachusetts Wage Act by miscalculating overtime pay.

Read More »

A female firefighter has filed suit in federal court against the Northampton Township Fire Department, alleging gender-based discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation following a romantic relationship with another firefighter that she claims turned abusive. Tracy Wilson filed suit in the ...

Read More »

The family of a helicopter pilot who died while assisting with wildfire suppression in California has reached a $15 million settlement with the company responsible for maintaining the aircraft. The incident occurred on August 19, 2020, when Michael Fournier, a contract pilot supporting Cal Fire operations, was killed in a crash while dropping water on the Hills Fire in Fresno County.

Read More »

A US Magistrate Judge has denied a New Orleans fire captain's request to amend his discrimination lawsuit against the city and the fire department’s superintendent. Captain Varrick Dyer, a 20-year veteran of the New Orleans Fire Department, filed suit in 2024 alleging race discrimination, retaliation, and conspiracy under Title VII, § 1981, 1983, and Louisiana law.

Read More »

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for May 12, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a $100 million suit brought against a utility following a gas explosion that killed a Virginia firefighter; a Louisiana ruling upholding the awarding of death ...

Read More »

The victims of a massive propane explosion in Virginia that killed one firefighter and injured several others have filed a $100 million lawsuit against a utility they claim is responsible for their injuries. The February 16, 2024 incident occurred in Sterling and claimed the life of Loudoun County firefighter Trevor Brown.

Read More »

The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal has affirmed a workers’ compensation ruling in favor of the family of a New Orleans firefighter who died from acute respiratory distress syndrome while attending training out of state. Captain Troy Magee, a 13 year veteran hazmat technician/firefighter, became critically ill during a week-long training course in New Mexico in October 2014.

Read More »

A Washington state firefighter who was terminated in August 2023, after filing a gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, has settled her claims after the fire district agreed to her retroactive reinstatement and the payment of $540,000. Samantha Ward was terminated by the Benton County Fire District #1.

Read More »