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

Tag Archives: Yakima Fire Department

Washington Lieutenant Accused of Sexual Misconduct with VocEd Fire Student

A Washington state firefighter is facing criminal charges of sexual misconduct and witness tampering. Joseph Chinco, a lieutenant with the Yakima Fire Department, has been charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor and witness tampering. He is accused of having sex on three occasions with a 17-year-old student that was in a vocational fire-training program.

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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