Fire Law Blog
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Fire Law Blog is a Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone. Curt Varone has over 40 years of fire service experience and 30 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine.
Fire Law Blog
3h ago
The Appellate Division of New Jersey Superior Court has upheld a ruling of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission concluding that lieutenants can be included with firefighters in a collective bargaining unit. The case involved a challenge brought by the Borough of Carteret seeking to separate lieutenants from the rank-and-file firefighters ..read more
Fire Law Blog
1d ago
The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has granted the appeal of an applicant for the Brockton Fire Department, concluding that the city did not have proper grounds to bypass her last year. Yasmine Estrella was ranked fourth on the Brockton Fire Department’s hiring list established in 2021 ..read more
Fire Law Blog
2d ago
The US Department of Labor has announced changes to the executive, administrative and professional employees exemption, and more specifically - increases to the minimum salary that must be paid to white collar employees to qualify under these exemptions. These changes have been expected, although the specific minimum salary and dates of implementation were subject to some speculation ..read more
Fire Law Blog
2d ago
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 23, 2024, Curt reviews a $4.45 million settlement in an EMS restraint-related death in Sacramento; a race discrimination suit in New Jersey; the settlement of an overtime dispute between battalion chiefs and the city of Wilmington; a trademark suit involving FDNY; and a suit against an ..read more
Fire Law Blog
3d ago
A New Hampshire firefighter who resigned last December after enduring what he claims was years of sexually harassing comments and retaliation is now suing his former employer. Christopher R. Golomb filed suit against the City of Concord last month in Merrimack County Superior Court ..read more
Fire Law Blog
4d ago
The City of Sacramento has agreed to settle a wrongful death suit with the family of a man who died while being restrained during an EMS response, for $4.45 million. Reginald “Reggie” Payne, 48, suffered a cardic arrest while being restrained by police, who responded at the request of firefighters ..read more
Fire Law Blog
1w ago
The City of Wilmington has agreed to settle an FLSA overtime suit brought last year by six current and former battalion chiefs for $459,695.36. The chiefs claim they were improperly classified as exempt executives ..read more
Fire Law Blog
1w ago
The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down a ruling in favor of FDNY concluding that a trademark owned by an FDNY paramedic in the name of "Medical Special Operations Conference" cannot be enforce because it is descriptive ..read more
Fire Law Blog
1w ago
The family of a St. Louis firefighter who died in 2022, has reportedly filed suit against the manufacturer of his SCBA alleging that the failure of his PASS device contributed to his death. Benjamin Polson died in a house fire on January 13, 2022 ..read more
Fire Law Blog
1w ago
In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 15, 2024, Brad and Curt discuss a pink collar theft case out of North Carolina; a $1.5 billion PFAS-related lawsuit filed in Virginia by firefighters with cancer; a due process ruling holding that a board member who testifies against an accused firefighter cannot thereafter return to ..read more