Fire Law Blog

A jury in St. Johns County, Florida returned a verdict in favor of former Fire Chief Scott Bullard, awarding him $500,000 after finding that the county breached his contract rights. Chief Bullard claimed that he was forced to resign from his position as fire chief for St. Johns County in October 2023.

A former Nashville Fire Department paramedic has filed suit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) arising from his treatment after reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a motorist injured in a crash with a Newport News fire department rescue truck, reinstating a jury’s finding that the firefighter was grossly negligent but ordering a new trial on damages. The case, Lee v. Carr (2025 Va. App. LEXIS 656), arose from a 2021 collision at …

A Houston firefighter has been charged with credit card abuse following allegations that he stole the credit card information of a fellow firefighter and attempted to use it to make online purchases. The firefighter is accused of using a coworker’s credit card information to attempt to buy approximately $650 worth of merchandise online.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 20, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a decision by the Nassau County Supreme Court reversing the disciplinary suspension of a fire chief in NY state; the denial of a request by an FDNY EMS officer to seal portions of a prior court opinion that discussed her …

The Nassau County Supreme Court has reversed the disciplinary suspension of a fire chief in New York state. While the case itself is of little consequence outside of the department and individuals involved, it serves as a good example of the problems that can arise when the elements of due process are ignored in a disciplinary matter.

A federal judge has denied a request by an FDNY EMS officer to seal portions of a prior court opinion that discussed her disciplinary record. The ruling, issued October 15, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, came in a long-running discrimination and civil rights case involving FDNY’s promotional practices for EMS officers

The Tennessee Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling that granted disability pension benefits to a Chattanooga firefighter diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The case centered on whether the firefighter’s traumatic experiences were “unexpected” within the meaning of the city’s pension policy.

A South Pasadena, Florida firefighter has filed suit against the City of South Pasadena and his labor union, alleging he was unlawfully ordered him to undergo a medical examination as a condition of continued employment, and then terminated in retaliation for complaining. Nathaniel Griffin filed suit against the city and IAFF Local 747.

The California Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by former Guadalupe Fire Captain Ryan Mack, who alleged disability discrimination and retaliation under the state’s Fair Employment & Housing Act. The court ruled that Captain Mack did not suffer an adverse employment action when the city required him to undergo fitness-for-duty evaluations in 2022.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 13, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a decision by  Escambia County commissioners to send $18 million in unpaid EMS bills to collections; the termination of a Kentucky union president; the agreement to settle the 2 year old lawsuit brought by the IAFF against the NFPA over …

Escambia County commissioners voted to send $17,968,811.56 in unpaid EMS bills to collections. The unpaid debt, which accumulated over several years, represents charges for ambulance transports provided by Escambia County Emergency Medical Services.

The Paducah City Commission has voted unanimously to terminate Captain Nathan Torian from the Paducah Fire Department following a nine-hour disciplinary hearing. Captain Torian, a 22-year veteran of the department, also serves as president of IAFF Local 168, a position he has held since 2017.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have formally ended their legal dispute over firefighter protective gear standards related to PFAS.

A civil engineer with the San Jose Fire Department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention has filed suit against the department and an assistant chief, alleging discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race and gender. Su-Yin Chou filed suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court on September 29, 2025.

A Richmond, Virginia, firefighter has filed suit against multiple manufacturers of firefighter protective clothing and related chemical companies, alleging that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in his turnout gear caused him to develop leukemia. The case, originally filed in the Virginia Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, was recently removed to federal court by 3M Company.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 6, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a defamation suit filed by two fire captains with the Youngstown Fire Department against the city’s mayor; a wrongful death suit against the Barstow Fire Department and others alleging negligence in the death of a fire captain; a lawsuit filed …

Two captains with the Youngstown Fire Department have filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, alleging that public comments he made to the press falsely portrayed them as racists and damaged their reputations.

The family of Barstow Fire Captain Garret Miller has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Barstow Fire Department, Barstow Community Hospital, Mercy Air Medical Transport (Air Methods), and others, alleging negligence in the events that led to his death last October.

A coalition of cities, counties, and fire agencies from across California, Washington, and Arizona has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, challenging new requirements tied to federal disaster preparedness and emergency management grants.