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

The City of Tulsa has agreed to settle an overtime lawsuit with over 500 current and former Tulsa firefighters for $1,060,000. The suit was filed in January, 2022 by thirteen Tulsa firefighters alleging the city was not properly paying overtime.

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The estate of a woman who was shot by her boyfriend has filed suit against FDNY and NYPD claiming that they failed to provide her with timely medical assistance. Gloria Felix, as administratrix for the Estate of Migdalia Ortega, filed suit seeking $7 million in damages.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 17, 2023, Curt discusses a lawsuit filed by a Massachusetts firefighter who was terminated for what he claims was refusing to sign a false document; a ruling in a discrimination lawsuit ...

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A Massachusetts firefighter who was dismissed earlier this year, is suing the Town of Natick and its fire chief claiming he was retaliated against for refusing to falsify a report. Skyler Sarkisian filed suit in Middlesex County Superior Court alleging several violations of Massachusetts state law.

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The US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has dismissed four of seven counts in a discrimination lawsuit brought by a Cincinnati fire captain. The captain, Janos Roper, will be allowed to proceed on the three remaining counts.

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The New York Daily News is reporting that recently filed court documents in the contentious age discrimination suit brought against Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh by several FDNY chiefs alleges that she was slow to react to the fire problem with e-bike lithium-ion batteries for political reasons.

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A San Antonio firefighter who resigned in 2021 has filed suit alleging he was being discriminated against on account of his sexual orientation. Austin Tschirhart filed suit in federal court naming the city and Lieutenant Gerrilyn Casals as defendants.

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The widow of a Belgian firefighter who was killed while on an FDNY marine watercraft that crashed into a tour boat on June 17, 2022, has filed suit against the City of New York and the tour boat’s owner. Heidi Vernmandel filed suit aainst the city, New York City Boat Tours LLC, and tour boat’s captain, Edward Mattiace.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 10, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss a decision ordering the San Jose Fire Department to release investigatory records into the Pink Poodle Strip Club case to the news media; the settlement ...

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A judge has ordered the San Jose Fire Department to turn over investigatory records from the Pink Poodle Strip Club incident to the San Jose Mercury News. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thomas E. Kuhnle issued the ruling on Friday concluding that the public records law mandates that the documents be released.

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A civil suit brought by the family of a 16-year-old girl against a former firefighter and the City of Marco Island has been settled just before the case was scheduled to go to trial. Nicholas Macchiarolo was a firefighter with the Marco Island Fire Department in 2018 when he shared explicit photos with the girl via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat.

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The United States Tax Court has ruled that the proceeds from the settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit is considered to be income, and thus subject to federal income tax. The case involved a San Francisco firefighter who filed suit in 2017, and settled in 2018.

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The Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court has upheld the denial of an “accidental disability pension” to a firefighter because his injury was not the result of “an undesigned or unexpected traumatic event.” Firefighter EMT John Karolinski suffered a rotator cuff injury on an EMS run.

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The Supreme Court of Alabama has refused to consider an appeal of a wrongful death lawsuit, concluding that the trial court must first make a determination as to the liability of a firefighter before a final determination on the liability of a volunteer department and a county fire association can be decided.

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