Tag Archives: DC Fire Department

Fire Law Roundup for February 3, 2025

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for February 3, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a lawsuit filed by a former NH fire chief alleging defamation; an appellate decision sending DC’s no-beard rule case back to district court; a magistrate’s ...

Appellate Court Sends DC No Beard Rule Case Back to District Court

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has overturned a decision by a district court that refused to find the District of Columbia Fire Department in contempt for instituting a no beard rule. The procedural history of the case is complicated, and the court did not rule on the merits of the case.

Fire Law Roundup for June 19, 2023

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 ...

DC Firefighters Charged With Assault Over April Altercation

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.

Four Firefighters Seek to Hold DCFEMS in Contempt Over No-Beard Rule

Four members of the DCFEMS are asking a federal court to reopen two religious discrimination cases and find the city in contempt for violating a permanent injunction by enforcing the no beard requirement. Steven Chasin, Calvert Potter, Jasper Sterling, Hassan Umrani filed the action earlier this month

Former DC Firefighter Wrongly Arrested Gets $390k Settlement

A former DC firefighter who spent two years in prison in Virginia has agreed to a $390,000 settlement from Fairfax County. Elon Wilson lost his job with DC Fire & EMS after being arrested by a police officer who later resigned while facing accusations of making pretextual stops.

DC Court of Appeals Rules Sexual Harassment Not Compensable as a “Performance of Duty” Disability

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has affirmed a decision by the District of Columbia Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board that disabling stress associated with sexual harassment and/or a sexual assault does not qualify a firefighter for a performance of duty disability pension.

DCFEMS Dismissed from L’Enfant Plaza Suit

A US District Court judge today dismissed the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department from the mass tort suit involving the L’Enfant Plaza smoke incident. The incident occurred in 2015 when an electrical problem caused power cables to begin emitting large quantities of smoke inside a metro tunnel.

25 L’Enfant Plaza Smoke Incident Suits Dismissed

Twenty-five of over 100 suits against the District of Columbia and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority arising out of the L’Enfant Plaza smoke incident were dismissed last Thursday. The Jan. 12, 2015 incident occurred when power cables begin emitting large quantities of smoke inside a tunnel just south of L’Enfant Plaza station.

DC Finally Settles Decades Old Overtime Suit for $45 million

A contentious overtime battle in the Nation’s Capital that goes back to the 1990s has finally been settled… this time for real!!! Last January DC agreed to settle a suit brought by firefighters over the payment of overtime for $47 million. However, it wasn’t until yesterday that the parties finally worked out all the details and signed the agreement bringing the matter to an end.

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