Fire Law Blog

Four part-time firefighters in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan have filed a federal lawsuit claiming township officials changed the hiring criteria for full-time firefighter positions after they publicly supported Fire Chief Jamie Jent and criticized what they describe as unsafe staffing levels in the department.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 13, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a race discrimination lawsuit filed by a former New Haven lieutenant; an appellate decision upholding the termination of a former assistant fire chief in Frisco, Texas; a ruling by a federal judge in Missouri sending a firefighter cancer suit against …

A Connecticut firefighter who was acquitted of a sexual assault charge has filed suit in federal court against New Haven, alleging that city officials racially discriminated against him. Lt. Keith Norfleet claims the city terminated him before his criminal case was resolved, while white firefighters facing similar criminal allegations were allowed to remain on leave.

The Texas Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a former assistant fire chief in Frisco. Cameron Kraemer claimed claimed the city violated its own personnel policies and unlawfully discriminated against him by terminating his employment while he remained out on leave for post-traumatic stress disorder. Chief Kraemer had served …

A federal judge in Missouri has sent a firefighter cancer suit against 3M back to state court after concluding that 3M could not have the case removed to federal court and sent to South Carolina where the AFFF mass tort litigation cases are being heard, because the firefighter expressly denied that foam exposure was part of his claim.

A Washington seafood company has filed suit against the City of Tacoma, alleging that tactical decisions made by the Tacoma Fire Department during a 2023 shipboard fire caused a contained fire aboard a commercial fishing vessel to spread and destroy a vessel valued at approximately $185 million.

Three firefighters associated with the Howe Volunteer Fire Department have been arrested following an investigation into allegations that a 16-year-old junior firefighter was sexually abused by multiple members of the department during 2022.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 6, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a Oregon lawsuit claiming a trespass order against a person prohibited from coming to a fire station is illegal because it prohibits them from attending public meetings; a ruling that FDNY must remove six cadet firefighters from EMS positions due …

A resident of New Pine Creek, Oregon, has filed suit against the New Pine Creek Rural Fire Protection District, its fire chief, and its board chair, alleging that a trespass order barring him from district property violates his constitutional rights.

A New York judge has ruled that the FDNY violated state civil service law by temporarily appointing fire cadets to EMT and EMS trainee positions despite the existence of eligible civil service lists for those titles. The ruling affects the six fire cadets who remained in those assignments at the time of the decision.

Lawsuits arising out of code enforcement responsibilities lead to approximately 1.8% of fire service civil litigation. Two such cases are in the Fire Law News today—one newly filed in Massachusetts involving underground fuel storage tanks, and the other a federal decision out of Michigan dismissing constitutional claims arising from fire code and licensing enforcement.

Two former paid members of the North East Cabarrus Volunteer Fire Department & Community Center in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, have filed a suit alleging the department failed to pay overtime required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

A federal judge in Alaska has allowed portions of a lawsuit brought by an Anchorage firefighter/EMT alleging military-service discrimination and retaliation to move forward, while dismissing older claims as time-barred.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 30, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss criminal charges brought against a Kentucky firefighter for payroll fraud; a Massachusetts appellate decision upholding the dismissal of a former fire chiefs defamation suit against an elected official; the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging the governor’s appoint of a Louisiana …

A firefighter in Winchester, Kentucky has been arrested and charged after city officials concluded he fraudulently claimed more than $10,000 in overtime pay over a 13-month period. According to Winchester Police, FF Kenneth Ball was charged with theft by deception involving $10,000 or more.

A Massachusetts appellate court has affirmed summary judgment in favor of a town selectboard chair who was sued for defamation by a former fire chief following the chief’s termination. Former Stockbridge Fire Chief Chief Ernest J. Cardillo, Jr. originally filed suit against the Town’s Selectboard in federal court following his termination in 2019.

A federal judge in Louisiana has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the appointment of Monroe Fire Chief Timothy Williams, ending—for now—a dispute that began when the Monroe City Council and Mayor Friday Ellis remained deadlocked for more than a year over who should lead the city’s fire department.

An Albany County Supreme Court justice has issued temporary relief in an Article 78 proceeding filed by Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. against the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Schuyler Heights Fire District and the Schuyler Heights Fire District, in a dispute over disciplinary authority and control of fire company governance.

A Marion Superior Court judge has ordered the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to restore all firefighting certifications held by a 20-year Muncie Fire Department captain after concluding that the state fire board acted arbitrarily when it overturned an administrative law judge’s recommendation and imposed severe discipline based on an allegation of cheating.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for March 23, 2026, Brad and Curt discuss a wrongful death lawsuit alleging dispatch and delayed search efforts contributed to the deaths of three in Louisiana; a suit by Atlanta Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 134 alleging the city is refusing to honor a properly negotiated CBA; a suit …