Fire Law Blog

The Arizona Attorney General has filed suit against the City of Tolleson, challenging a policy that requires firefighters to repay $15,000 in training costs if they leave the department within three years of being hired. The suit alleges that the repayment requirement is an unlawful penalty that effectively prevents firefighters from leaving for better-paying jobs.

A California man has filed suit against the City of Richmond and a fire department engineer after he was run over by fire apparatus while sleeping outside a fire station. The suit alleges that firefighters failed to check the area in front of the station before moving the apparatus.

The Baltimore County paramedic who pled guilty in August to three counts of causing another to ingest bodily fluids has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Christopher Carroll was arrested in February following an investigation by Baltimore County Police into allegations that he recorded himself engaging in sexual acts at BCFD facilities and posted the videos online

A former administrative manager with the Rochester Fire Department in Minnesota has lost his appeal in an age discrimination lawsuit alleging that fire department officials forced him into retirement by eliminating his supervisory responsibilities, reducing his salary, and reclassifying his position.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 12, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss the settlement of a sexual harassment and retaliation suit in Ohio; a ruling by a Connecticut court denying a motion for summary judgment in a race discrimination and retaliation suit; the appeal of a arbitration decision in Massachusetts on the …

The City of Port Clinton, Ohio, has agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a former firefighter/EMT who accused the city's former fire chief of sexual harassment and assault, and fellow firefighters of retaliating against her after she reported his misconduct.

A Connecticut Superior Court judge has refused to dismiss a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by a New London firefighter who claims he was passed over for promotion to lieutenant in favor of a white firefighter who received additional points for seniority.

The City of Malden, Massachusetts has filed suit seeking to overturn an arbitration award that ordered it to provide injured-on-duty benefits to a firefighter who experienced back problems several months after reporting an injury at an emergency incident. The city claims the arbitrator exceeded her authority under the collective bargaining agreement.

A Massachusetts newspaper is reporting that a lawsuit brought by former Tisbury Fire Chief Gregory Leland against the town has been dismissed with prejudice after he failed to appear for a status review hearing.

A New York court has ruled that a fire district acted within its authority in adopting policies governing access to its firehouse and rejected a challenge to the district’s refusal to approve a fire company’s nominee for chief engineer. The court also transferred a challenge to the termination of the fire company’s president to the Appellate Division for review.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 5, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a suit against  a Detroit Fire Department captain in a wrongful conviction case brought by a man who spent more than a decade in prison for murder and arson, who was later cleared; criminal charges brought against a Philadelphia Fire …

A federal judge has dismissed the City of Detroit and Wayne County from a wrongful prosecution suit brought by a man who spent more than a decade in prison for murder and arson, but allowed the case to proceed against the Detroit fire and police investigators accused of withholding and fabricating evidence that led to his conviction.

A former Philadelphia Fire Department payroll supervisor has been criminally charged in connection with an alleged overtime fraud scheme that is already at the center of a federal lawsuit brought by a former First Deputy Fire Commissioner.

A federal court in Texas has entered judgment in favor of the City of Yoakum in a First Amendment lawsuit brought by a woman whose dispute with a fire department paramedic began during an emergency childbirth call in 2017 and continued for more than eight years.

A federal court has dismissed the retaliation suit brought by an FDNY firefighter who claimed he was improperly detailed out of Rescue 1 after filing an EEO complaint. FF Daniel Hyland filed suit against the City of New York, FDNY, former Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro, and former Fire Commissioner Mark Guerra, alleging retaliation.

A federal court in Indiana has granted summary judgment to prison officials accused of being deliberately indifferent to the risk of fire at the Indiana State Prison, relying in significant part on the prison’s operation of a trained and equipped inmate fire department and its broader fire prevention and response program.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 28, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a suit brought by a South Carolina firefighter alleging race discrimination and retaliation; a First Amendment suit brought by a Jacksonville firefighter who is also a local elected official; a Virgin Islands firefighter appealing the dismissal of his disability discrimination, …

A South Carolina firefighter has filed suit against the St. John’s Fire District and its Fire Chief, alleging race discrimination and retaliation arising out of the discovery of a noose tied around the neck of a dark-skinned CPR training mannequin in his fire station.

A Jacksonville firefighter who also serves as an elected member of the Clay County School Board has filed suit against the City of Jacksonville, claiming he was disciplined in violation of the First Amendment for comments he made while off duty on his personal Facebook account while acting as an elected official.

A veteran Virgin Islands firefighter has appealed a federal court ruling granting summary judgment to the Government of the Virgin Islands on his disability discrimination, sexual harassment, disparate treatment, and retaliation claims.