Tag Archives: deafness

The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services has agreed to grant accommodations to a deaf firefighter with a learning disability that will allow him to retake the EMT final exam. Austin Freidt, a volunteer firefighter with the Cornatzer-Dulin Volunteer Fire Department, filed suit in 2021 after having failed the exam “multiple times.”

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A lawsuit filed by a deaf Idaho firefighter who was terminated, is headed to trial after a federal court refused to grant him summary judgment. Matthew Burgoyne was terminated from the Rock Creek Rural Fire Protection District for insubordination in 2019.

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A lawsuit filed by a deaf applicant will be moving forward, despite a motion to dismiss by the defendant-fire department. Charles Hine sought to serve as a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Morningside Volunteer Fire Department, part of the Prince George’s County Fire Department. He previously served as a volunteer in Pennsylvania, despite his hearing impairment.

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A deaf Idaho volunteer firefighter who was terminated for insubordination in 2019 has filed suit claiming disability discrimination under state and federal law. Matthew Burgoyne filed suit today against the Rock Creek Firefighters Association, Inc. and the Rock Creek Rural Fire Protection District accusing both entities of discrimination.

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