Fire Law Blog

Three former members of the Stanley Fire Department in North Carolina have been indicted following a joint investigation into what officials described as deliberate acts that disrupted emergency operations and endangered public safety.

A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by more than 140 current and former Los Angeles city employees challenging the City’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The plaintiffs, who included city firefighters and other employees, brought seven causes of action under 42 U.S.C. §1983, alleging violations of their constitutional rights arising from the City’s 2021 ordinance requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain a medical or religious exemption.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 10, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful termination suit filed by the former human resources director for the Seattle Fire Department;  a suit brought by female firefighter in New Castle, Pennsylvania alleging harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; a disability discrimination and retaliation suit filed by a …

The former human resources director for the Seattle Fire Department has filed a tort claim with the City of Seattle alleging she was terminated in retaliation for reporting misconduct, on-duty drinking, and sexism within the department.

A female firefighter in New Castle, Pennsylvania has filed suit alleging ongoing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation by members of the New Castle Fire Department, including the assistant chief and a union officer. The complaint, filed by Annie M. Papa, claims she was targeted because of her gender and disability.

A former firefighter has filed suit in federal court alleging disability discrimination and retaliation by the leadership of the Oyster Bay Fire Department Company No. 1. The lawsuit, brought by 59-year-old Joseph Minicozzi Jr., a retired FDNY firefighter and 9/11 responder, asserts claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and the Fourteenth Amendment.

A former Paducah fire captain and union president has filed a 34-page federal complaint alleging that his termination in October constituted retaliation for his union involvement, protected speech, petitioning activities, and wage-related complaints. The lawsuit, filed November 3, 2025, by Captain Nathan Torian following the City Commission’s decision to uphold his termination last month.

The Circuit Court of Hanover County has issued a preliminary injunction against the Hanover County Fire & EMS Department who was seeking to discipline a firefighter for the off-duty use of medically-certified cannabis oil. The case was brought by Hanover County firefighter David Morath, who holds a valid written practitioner certification under Virginia’s medical cannabis program.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 3, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful death suit against Richmond County alleging and negligence stemming from the failure of firefighters at a nearby station to respond; the dismissal of several claims in a wrongful death lawsuit arising from the death of a Santa Barbara …

The families of two Georgia residents who died in an October 2023 house fire have filed suit against Richmond County and others, alleging wrongful death and negligence stemming from the failure of firefighters at a nearby station to respond.

A federal court has dismissed several claims in a wrongful death lawsuit arising from the death of a Santa Barbara County jail inmate who was injured in a traffic crash and later died from a pulmonary embolism. The suit was filed by the family of Luis Enrique Duron-Rodriguez, who was pursued by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies for speeding on August 31, 2023.

A California motorcyclist has filed suit against several public entities, including the San Bernardino County Fire Department, alleging that a fire truck damaged a water line and created roadway conditions that led to a serious crash. The case was filed earlier this month in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

A Tulsa woman has filed suit against the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Fire Department, alleging that a fire truck being driven “carelessly, negligently and recklessly” caused a collision that resulted in the death of her unborn child.

Today’s Burning Question: Since all reports, documents, and correspondence created or received by public employees in the performance of their work qualify as public records, and since emails and text messages qualify as correspondence, could a public employee’s text messages with his/her union representative about a work-related matter qualify as a public record that must be disclosed when duly requested?

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for October 27, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a suit by 5 California firefighters a fire department’s failure to investigate a hidden camera; a jury award of $500k to a Florida chief who was improperly forced to resign; an ADA suit filed by a former Nashville Fire Department …

Five emergency medical personnel assigned to El Cajon’s Heartland Fire & Rescue Station 8 have filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court alleging they were secretly recorded in their bunkroom and that city and agency officials failed to investigate the misconduct.

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.