Fire Law Blog

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled that a state law granting public employees up to 40 days of paid military leave annually, grants firefighter-service members who work a 24-hour shift, 40 such shifts each year. The decision reverses a Superior Court decision that held that a Melrose firefighter was only entitled to twenty – 24 hour shifts of paid military leave.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 24, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss our interview of the attorney who won a $31.5 million verdict for the widow of an Illinois fire lieutenant who died in the line of duty; a move by Utah lawmakers to reverse a 2025 Utah Supreme Court decision that …

Utah lawmakers have advanced legislation that will restore broad immunity protection for fire and EMS personnel following an August 2025 Utah Supreme Court decision that limited immunity for routine 911 medical calls. Members of the Government Operations Interim Committee unanimously approved a bill that would reverse the Court’s interpretation and reinstate protections for first responders.

In this edition of Fire Law VLOG, Curt and Brad are joined by Chief Gary Ludwig (ret.) and attorney Michael Gallagher to discuss the $31.5 million jury verdict in favor of the widow of Sterling Fire Lieutenant Garrett Ramos. Lt. Ramos was killed in a fire in Rock Falls, IL. In December, 2021. Mike represented …

A group of current and former Battalion Chiefs with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District have filed suit alleging the District misclassified them as exempt employees and failed to pay overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The case was filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court on October 16, 2025, and was removed by the District to federal court on November 19, 2025.

In this edition of Fire Law VLOG, Curt and Bill Maccarone discuss recent trends in fire service wage and hour cases, including regular rate, executive exemption, volunteers, the reintroduction of opinion letters and the PAID program by the Trump administration, and the exemption of overtime compensation from federal income tax. Want more? Join us in …

A group of Tallahassee residents and a local government-watchdog nonprofit have filed suit against the City of Tallahassee challenging the legality of the city’s long-standing Fire Services Fee. The lawsuit was filed November 17, 2025, in Leon County Circuit Court by former mayor Dorothy Inman-Johnson, Deborah Cozart-Hawkins, Jamila Robinson, and Citizens for Government Accountability Inc.

A disabled military veteran and a Boston-based veterans advocacy organization have filed suit in Suffolk County Superior Court challenging the Boston Fire Department’s recent hiring practices. The lawsuit contends that the City’s use of its new firefighter cadet program, along with a recently adopted “hybrid” hiring process, has improperly reduced opportunities for veterans seeking appointment to the department.

A Bloomfield firefighter has filed suit in federal court alleging racial discrimination and a hostile work environment stemming from two separate incidents in which a coworker displayed and threw a noose at him during department training sessions. The complaint was filed November 16, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey by firefighter Patrick Thomas against the Township of Bloomfield.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for November 17, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a verdict awarding $31.5 million to the widow of an Illinois fire lieutenant who died in the line of duty; a lawsuit filed against a NC fire department and several other agencies by the family of a six-year-old girl who …

A jury in Whiteside County, Illinois, has returned a verdict of $31.5 million in favor of the widow and two young daughters of Garrett Ramos, a lieutenant with the Sterling Fire Department, who died in the line of duty in December 2021.

The parents of a six-year-old girl who died over Memorial Day weekend in 2024 have filed a federal lawsuit alleging a coordinated effort among several North Carolina agencies— including the Dallas (NC) Fire Department — to conceal evidence of trauma and falsely classify their daughter’s death as an accidental drowning

A former Clark County firefighter recruit has filed suit in federal court alleging discrimination, harassment, and retaliation during his probationary period with the Clark County Fire Department. The complaint was filed November 11, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada by Oscar Pavon, a member of Recruit Class 24-1.

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.