Fire Law Blog

A Maine firefighter has filed suit against the Town of Mount Vernon alleging the town paid its part-time firefighters only once every six months and suspended him after he complained about unpaid wages.

The St. Lucie County Fire District has terminated three firefighter-paramedics and suspended two others following an outside investigation into the use of a modified bug zapper to shock probationary and apprentice firefighters back in 2024.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 20, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a suit filed against a Florida fire department over the death of an applicant during a physical abilities test; an apparent oversight in New Jersey state wage and hour law that appears to require firefighters be paid overtime after 40 …

The family of a firefighter applicant who died after collapsing during a pre-employment physical abilities test has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Fort Myers, alleging that the City required candidates to complete a physically demanding evaluation outdoors in extreme heat without adequate safeguards to prevent heat illness.

In this special edition of Fire Law VLOG, Bill Maccarone and Curt discuss an important development out of New Jersey with significant implications for firefighter and police overtime. Are New Jersey firefighters and police officers entitled to overtime after 40 hours per week? Bill’s full analysis is available on FirefighterOvertime.org.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the termination of a Chicago firefighter whose public Facebook posts contained racist and offensive comments directed at Black and Asian Americans. The court concluded that the Chicago Fire Department’s interest in maintaining public trust outweighed the firefighter’s First Amendment rights.

A Texas mother has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that multiple public officials and private entities mishandled the investigation into the death of her 21-year-old son, failed to preserve evidence, improperly identified his remains, and cremated his body without providing an opportunity for independent identification.

A federal magistrate judge has recommended that summary judgment be granted in favor of Douglas County, Georgia, in a lawsuit filed by former Fire Chief/EMS Director Roderick B. Jolivette, who alleged that the county discriminated against him because of his race and retaliated against him after he complained of discrimination and filed an EEOC charge.

The City of East Chicago has agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve a federal lawsuit brought by members of East Chicago Professional Firefighters Local 365 alleging they were subjected to retaliation for engaging in protected First Amendment activity.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 13, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss new allegations being brought against a Muncie fire captain who recently prevailed on allegations of helping students cheat on exams; a lawsuit filed by a Colorado firefighter claiming he was terminated after repeatedly raising concerns about firefighter training, public safety, …

The City of Muncie has initiated a new effort to terminate Captain Troy Dulaney, filing a second amended complaint of misconduct with the Muncie Fire Merit Commission that seeks his dismissal from the Muncie Fire Department.

A Colorado firefighter has filed suit against the Platteville-Gilcrest Fire Protection District, its fire chief, the Town of Platteville, and the Town of Gilcrest, alleging that he was terminated after repeatedly raising concerns about firefighter training, public safety, nepotism, discrimination, and payroll practices

The family of a man who drowned while paddleboarding at Lake Castaic has petitioned the LA County Superior Court for permission to pursue a wrongful death claim against the County of Los Angeles, the LA County Fire Department, the LA County Parks and Recreation Department, and the State of California after learning nine months later that a lifeguard allegedly should have been on duty at the location where the incident occurred.

An independent investigation commissioned by the City of Sacramento concluded that two Sacramento Fire Department captains improperly used their positions as firefighters in connection with the purchase, renovation and resale of the home of an elderly woman they first encountered while responding to a 911 medical call.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of federal constitutional claims brought against a Colorado Springs Fire Department paramedic and a Colorado Springs police officer arising from the 2022 death of a man experiencing a mental health crisis.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for July 6, 2026, Paul Doughty and Curt discuss a lawsuit filed by two former Clark County NV probationary firefighters alleging race discrimination; the dismissal of a suit brought by a firefighter against a police officer for wrongfully arresting him over a photo taken at an incident scene; …

Two former probationary firefighters have filed suit in federal court against the Clark County Fire Department and the fire chief alleging they were subjected to race discrimination, a racially hostile work environment, and retaliation that culminated in their forced resignations just before the completion of their probationary periods.

A federal judge has ruled that a Connecticut police lieutenant who arrested a volunteer firefighter serving as his department’s Public Information Officer is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit arising from the firefighter’s 2021 arrest for posting photographs from a motor vehicle accident scene on Facebook.

A Tennessee man has filed an emergency petition asking a Tennessee court to order the Nashville Fire Department, Nashville Police Department, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and a Nashville restaurant to preserve evidence from an incident in which he alleges emergency personnel ignored his repeated refusals of ambulance transport and subsequent medical treatment.

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has filed a defamation lawsuit against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, alleging that the Mayor repeatedly made false statements blaming Chief Crowley for decisions surrounding the January 2025 Palisades Fire in an effort to deflect criticism of her own leadership and budget decisions.