Fire Law Blog

Five probationary firefighters and their union have filed suit against the City of Clarksville, Tennessee, and its fire chief alleging they were terminated in retaliation for participating in a public union campaign over firefighter pay, staffing shortages, and working conditions.

A hearing officer with the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission has recommended the dismissal of a veteran’s preference complaint brought by Bonita Springs firefighter and National Guard veteran John Kutz over the district’s decision to promote another officer to Deputy Chief of EMS.

A federal judge in Arizona has partially denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Phoenix firefighter who alleges he was denied promotion because he is a white male. Chad Lancaster, a firefighter-paramedic, filed the suit last year in Maricopa County Superior Court naming the city and former Fire Chief Jason Rideout as defendants.

A dispute between the City of Norwich, Connecticut and one of its volunteer fire companies continues to unfold, with the parties agreeing to mediation while a broader lawsuit filed by several volunteer departments proceeds in court.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 9, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a lawsuit out of Washington that may reach the SU Supreme Court of the issue of accommodation of firefighters’ religious beliefs; the $1.25 million settlement of an FLSA overtime suit involving battalion chiefs in California; a ruling allowing a First …

Eight Washington firefighters who lost a religious accommodation case in the Ninth Circuit have asked the U.S. Supreme Court for additional time to file a petition for certiorari. The request arises out of Petersen v. Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, a lawsuit challenging how the department handled requests for religious exemptions from a COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Ten battalion chiefs with the Tulare County Fire Department have resolved a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) after a federal court approved a settlement totaling more than $1.25 million.

A federal court in North Carolina has denied motions to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former part-time fire chief who alleges he was terminated in retaliation for protected speech and subjected to defamatory statements about his conduct. Chief William Lanham filed suit in Franklin County Superior Court naming the Town of Louisburg, its mayor and town administrator.

A federal district court in California has ruled that a Battalion Chief with the City of Compton Fire Department may proceed to trial on his First Amendment retaliation claim against the Fire Chief, but dismissed his claims against the City and his state law claims against the Chief.

A federal judge in Maryland has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit filed by the families of three fallen Baltimore City firefighters and a fourth firefighter who was seriously injured in a 2022 rowhouse collapse. The case arises from the January 24, 2022 fire at 205 South Stricker Street in Baltimore.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 2, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss the dismissal of two criminal proceedings against firefighters, one in Texas and one in Tennessee; The filing of a long awaited civil suit by former LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley over her removal; a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging an …

The dismissal of two criminal cases against firefighters are in the Fire Law News today, one in Texas, the other in Tennessee.

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has filed suit against the City of Los Angeles, alleging she was removed from her position in retaliation for speaking publicly about budget cuts and their impact on public and firefighter safety.

A former administrative employee of the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District (NOFD) has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging she was terminated after raising concerns about financial practices and recordkeeping within the district.

A Baltimore City Fire Department paramedic has filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination and failure to accommodate his religious observance, naming the Baltimore City Fire Department and the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City as defendants.

A coalition of California and Oregon cities and counties has filed suit in federal court challenging new conditions imposed by federal agencies on a wide range of grant programs, including several that directly fund fire departments.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for February 26, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a lawsuit filed by the widow of a detective alleging that an EMT took and shared unauthorized photographs of her husband’s body after he was killed in a motorcycle crash; a sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by a …

The widow of an Anderson County sheriff’s detective has filed suit alleging that an EMT with a private ambulance service took and shared unauthorized photographs of her husband’s body after he was killed in a motorcycle crash.

A veteran fire captain-paramedic has filed a federal lawsuit against Franklin County, Virginia, alleging sex discrimination, a hostile work environment, and retaliation in violation of Title VII. Captain Rena Clark Jennings filed suit against Franklin County Public Safety, where she worked for more than 21 years.