Legal Issues
A Kansas City battalion chief said leaders failed to act after racist slurs, then retaliated with audits, a sudden transfer and a pulled promotion, despite his decorated service
Fairfield Battalion Chief Jessica Fleshman, a 20-year veteran and former Marine, alleged she faced harassment and retaliation after her promotion, claims the city denied but agreed to settle
The department’s former head of HR, says she was fired after pressing leaders to address pervasive misconduct, from on-duty drinking and unsafe behavior to mishandled sexual-harassment cases
A district judge dismissed charges against two Montgomery County firefighters, finding insufficient evidence the soaked Montgomery Blair High School field was damaged
Brittney Ramos is suing the city of Rock Falls and two fire chiefs, alleging their reckless actions led to her husband falling through a floor and running out of air
Investigators say the former Stanley firefighters deleted critical safety files, erased hydrant maps and crippled emergency response systems
Firefighters are always on camera, and reputation rides on every response
The former Waterbury lieutenant, dismissed over medical marijuana use, was arraigned after prosecutors said he referenced Charlie Kirk and threats to shoot local political officials
The Prince George’s County lieutenant is being held without bond and faces multiple charges
A separation agreement shows Fort Worth will pay outgoing Chief Jim Davis nearly $100K as he drops potential claims, including age discrimination and whistleblower allegations
After Fort Worth Chief Jim Davis resigned, his lawyer argued the firefighters’ union impeded safety fixes by resisting a NIOSH review
Several major cities allege that the Trump administration imposed “unlawful and unrelated conditions” on more than $100M in public safety grants
Detailing how the first-arriving unit should take command, perform an initial size-up, and communicate with dispatch and other responding units
Five graduates say the department reclassified them as EMS trainees just before contracts expired, then issued termination letters
A Waterbury HR probe says recruits used phones, split screens and Google during an unsupervised final test
The Finance Committee advanced an $8M payout in the ambulance restraint death and $7.5M to the family of pastors killed during a police chase
The court reinstated a pension board’s rejection, ruling the traumatic events behind the PTSD were expected within firefighting duties and thus didn’t meet the fund’s “unexpected event” standard
The former Sheridan Park Fire Company treasurer admitted stealing nearly $450,000 to fuel a gambling habit
The firefighters’ union moved to dismiss with prejudice its PFAS-related lawsuit over NFPA’s firefighter gear standard
Carroll County officials say his operational suspension mirrors his Montgomery County status and reinstatement depends on the case outcome
Richmond Firefighter Jonathan Clarke alleges companies like 3M, Chemours and Honeywell knew turnout gear contained cancer-linked “forever chemicals” but hid the danger
Nine members from Engine 38/Ladder 51 and eight from Engine 43/Ladder 59 were reassigned as the department investigates
Two Montgomery County firefighters face malicious destruction and disorderly conduct charges after spraying engine water onto the field
An internal probe found the Waterbury recruits used phones and computers during the proctored test
Videos allegedly shot at Engine 38/Ladder 51 show rookies doing cake-face pushups and hugging naked men
Rigoberto Hernandez was freed from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after federal lawyers moved to dismiss his removal case
Careful monitoring, witnessed documentation and a record of any actions will protect controlled substances in the ambulance from theft
Look for tampered packaging, excessive use and false documentation to identify a drug diversion in your department
Here are six strategies to prevent drug diversion, part of the profession’s important role in the fight against the opioid overdose epidemic
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