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

Today a magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted a search warrant application to investigators from the Chicago Fire Department looking into a string of arsons. The search warrant grants investigators access to Google’s electronic geo-fencing data.

Read More »

In a ruling handed down yesterday, the City of Chicago was successful in getting part of a sexual discrimination suit brought against the fire department dismissed, but the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has ruled that a female fire-paramedic candidate who filed an earlier suit in 2016 will be allow to pursue certain of her claims in a second suit filed last year.

Read More »

The Illinois Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court ruling granting summary judgment to a fire department sued for the wrongful death of a woman in 2014. The family of Amanda Gary filed suit against the City of Calumet alleging that the negligence of fire department paramedics caused her death.

Read More »

A Seminole County, Florida firefighter has been suspended for three days for violating a quarantine order. Joseph Piambino was supposed to quarantine following a positive COVID-19 test on June 20, 2020.

Read More »

The City of San Antonio is investigating the circumstances surrounding Fire Chief Charles Hood being photographed taking part in a Japanese tradition of eating sushi from the body of a partially nude model earlier this year. The tradition, known as Nyotaimori, dates back centuries to the Samurai period.

Read More »

The State of California has become the latest state to enact a law making it a criminal offense for a first responder to take certain photos at emergency scenes. Introduced in the California Legislature under the title of “Invasion of privacy: first responders”, the legislation was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 28, 2020.

Read More »

The Louisiana Supreme Court has upheld the termination of an assistant fire chief who was accused of being untruthful as to his whereabouts one afternoon in 2016. Frederick Meiners, III was an Assistant Fire Chief with the St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District No. 4.

Read More »

The family of a Maine firefighter who was killed in gas explosion last year, has filed suit today against two companies claimed to be responsible. The estate of Farmington Fire Department Captain Michael Bell and six Farmington firefighters filed suit in Franklin County Superior Court naming CN Brown and Techno Metal Post ME as defendants.

Read More »

A New Jersey firefighter who was terminated in 2017 over an issue with residency documentation submitted with his application, has been ordered reinstated with backpay by the Appellate Division of the NJ Superior Court. Christopher D'Amico was fired by the City of Plainfield because he altered an insurance card by accurately adding his address.

Read More »

The City of Houston has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the US Department of Justice on behalf of a female firefighter alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. The settlement puts to rest a contentious case that originally involved two female firefighters that dates back to 2009.

Read More »

A Rhode Island firefighter has filed a class action lawsuit alleging that a local fire district violated the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and after being found to be in violation by the US Department of Labor, persisted in refusing to pay back wages owed. James Almagno filed suit today in US District Court naming the Central Coventry Fire District.

Read More »

A Texas firefighter recruit who was injured and resigned from the fire academy, has lost a civil rights lawsuit contending he was forced to resign in retaliation for his exercise of his First Amendment rights. Bryce Baker filed suit earlier this year against the City of Arlington alleging he was harassed and badgered into resigning.

Read More »

An applicant to a volunteer fire department in Prince George’s County who was rejected because he is deaf, has filed suit claiming disability discrimination. Charles Hine filed suit last week in US District Court for the District of Maryland naming Prince George’s County and Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

Read More »

A Nevada fire department and a battalion chief are facing a wrongful death suit over a 2018 accident that killed two people. The Central Lyon County Fire Protection District and BC Brett Larkin are being sued by the family of Joseph House Jr., who died in a motor vehicle accident on August 21, 2018.

Read More »