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

Tag Archives: career versus part time

Legal Authority for Chain of Command

Today’s burning question: In a combination department without a formal chain of command, do full-time Captains have authority over a part-time Chief Officer? Does any case law differentiate between the two? Answer: The answer cannot come from the law, it has to come from the department’s leadership to establish the chain of command.

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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