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

A $425,000 settlement has been reached in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former firefighter in Harrison, New York. The lawsuit was filed last year by the US Department of Justice on behalf of Angela Bommarito, naming Town of Harrison, its police chief, Harrison Volunteer Fire Department No. 1, and Fire District Number Two of Harrison.

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The City of Beverly Hills is facing a lawsuit by a man who claims a firefighter negligently opened a fire truck door as he was passing, which damaged his vehicle and caused him to injure his head, neck and back. Jesus Jimenez filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court naming the city and Firefighter Brenton Weist as defendants.

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A firefighter with FDNY has been indicted for reportedly stealing credit cards at an emergency scene, and later using the cards. Sylus McKenzie is accused of taking two credit cards from a Manhattan apartment during an emergency response for an unresponsive man on January 11, 2021.

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A South Carolina fire chief and his son have been sued by the parents of two teenagers who claim the chief pursued their car, stopped them, pointed a gun at them, and ordered them to lie on the ground. The incident reportedly occurred last summer and was precipitated by the teens turning around in a driveway.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 19, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss a decision by the Seventh Circuit in favor of the City of Kankakee in a lawsuit brought by a female firefighter who accused her officer ...

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The US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld summary judgment in favor of the City of Kankakee in a lawsuit brought by a female firefighter who accused her officer of assaulting her while they were fighting a fire. Michelle Giese claims Lieutenant Nathan Boyce picked her up and pushed her on October 18, 2018.

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A volunteer firefighter has filed suit against the Borough of Allendale claiming that elected officials wrongfully refused to confirm his promotion to assistant chief. Michael Pina filed suit against the borough, the director of emergency management, the fire chief and the fire administrator accusing them of an assortment of claims.

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An FLSA lawsuit filed by ten battalion chiefs with the Alexandria Fire Department has come to a rather surprising conclusion. The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted summary judgment to the city based upon a rarely used exemption for fire officers: the highly compensated employee exemption.

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Two District of Columbia firefighters who were caught on video punching and kicking a man at the scene of a motor vehicle accident, are now facing criminal charges. Lieutenant Sean Sinon, 48, and Firefighter Reden Ecleo, 21, have been charged with assault.

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A Florida division chief who was fired in 2022 has filed suit claiming disability discrimination. Walter Ebbert filed suit against the Ocean City Wright Fire Control District. The suit was initially filed in Okaloosa County Circuit Court, and removed by the district to US District Court.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for June 12, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss the settlement of two lawsuits filed by a firefighter who was severely burned while trying to effect a rescue; ruling in favor of the Milwaukee Fire Department in a suit brought by a terminated firefighter; an appellate ruling in Georgia that held an EMS unit was justified in...

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A firefighter who was severely burned trying to rescue a man in 2006, has settled two lawsuits she filed against the fire department for $1 million. Cindy Schuenke has reached a settlement with the Community Fire Protection District in St. Louis County over her injuries and subsequent termination.

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A lawsuit filed by a former Milwaukee firefighter over his termination has been dismissed by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The suit was brought by Michael S. Peden, who was terminated on June 17, 2020 for conduct that reportedly took place in 2017.

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The Second Division Court of Appeals of Georgia has held that when police order EMS to stage, and later release them because no victim is located, there is no legal duty on the part of the medics to independently verify the police determination. The decision reverses a trial court ruling and resulted in the granting of a motion for summary judgment for the EMS provider.

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