Fire Law Blog

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.

As if yesterday’s story about the sexual misconduct hazing incident in FDNY was not enough, two more stories are in the news today, one in Maryland, the other in Connecticut. In Montgomery County, Maryland, two firefighters have been charged with intentionally flooding a baseball field.

FDNY has suspended several members and opened an investigation after two videos showing apparent hazing of newly graduated firefighters were shared with the New York Daily News. According to reporting, one video—said to have been recorded at Engine 38/Ladder 51 in the Bronx—shows 3 firefighters doing pushups while repeatedly smashing their faces into cakes on the floor as an off-camera voice counts.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 29, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss a suit against Jacksonville Fire & Rescue alleging disability discrimination for failing to accommodate a firefighter’s ADHD during a promotional process; the release of an Oregon firefighter from ICE detention after he was arrested at the scene of a wildland …

A Jacksonville firefighter has filed suit against the City of Jacksonville alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) for failure to accommodate his disability during a promotional examination.

An Oregon firefighter who was detained by immigration authorities while on assignment has been released following the filing of a federal lawsuit. Rigoberto Hernandez Hernandez, an Oregon firefighter, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents while assigned to the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington State. At the time he worked for a private sector wildland fire contractor.

A former firefighter has filed suit in federal court against the Fishers Fire Department alleging race, sex, and disability discrimination, as well as retaliation. The case was filed on September 24, 2025 by Lauren Gray, who joined the department in June 2022 as its first African American female firefighter

A former Clark County, Nevada firefighter who was charged last year with possessing child sexual-abuse material is now facing a second set of charges. Isiah Tureaud was arrested in January 2024 after a phone containing illicit images was discovered in his bunk at the firehouse.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by former fire chief, Ronald Lammers, against the City of Riverview and its city manager. Chief Lammers was summarily terminated shortly after he objected to the elimination of his deputy chief.

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for September 22, 2025, Brad and Curt discuss the resignation of an FDNY assistant commissioner over a team-building exercise for aspiring firefighters that was racially insensitive; a video of Senator Hawley questioning apparatus manufacturers accused of price gouging; a lawsuit filed by a Toledo fire captain alleging race …

An incident at a Brooklyn high school set in motion a chain of events that led to the resignation of Michele Maglione, Assistant Commissioner of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), and head of its Youth Workforce Development division.

Just in case you missed Senator Hawley’s questioning of apparatus manufacturers: Update: For those interested, here is a longer version: