Category: Recent Developments

WASHINGTON, DC — A bill that would create a voluntary database of firefighters across the country who contract cancer is awaiting House action after the Senate approved it last week without even a floor vote. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, co-sponsored the Senate bill along with Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The House version’s co-sponsors include Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, and Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth. Renacci is running against Brown…

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Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa resigned Tuesday amid a growing federal investigation into his personal finances and other private and professional affairs, prompting Mayor Catherine E. Pugh to announce a national search for his replacement just days after she expressed continued confidence in him. De Sousa’s departure — after 30 years in the department and less than four months at its helm — comes amid revelations that the…

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NEW ORLEANS —The city of New Orleans is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after off-duty police officers worked paid details and the clients didn’t pay up, public records show. “It is absolutely time to pay up,” said New Orleans Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano. The city’s delinquent list, for lack of payment, includes more than 400 people, entities and businesses. Last February, Carnival season was in full swing…

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LEMOORE, CA — For the past six months, the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department has functioned as usual in addition to having to negotiate with the city to get the department funded again. In the process of making these changes, the city has caused an unexpected burden on the volunteers in consuming their time to get this done. “I say this personally; I expect an apology,” Brahm Rossiter, a volunteer…

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WEST WILDWOOD – A Superior Court judge has ruled that taxpayers of this tiny borough are on the hook for a $1 million-plus judgment in a suit filed by Police Chief Jacquelyn Ferentz. Normally, a judgment of that magnitude would be covered by insurance, but in this case, the insurer argued that the municipality failed to cooperate in the defense against the suit. Superior Court Judge James Pickering has…

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HULL, Mass. — A town meeting measure that would change the hiring practice for future chiefs and deputy chiefs in the fire department is under fire by the local union. Hull Firefighters Local 1657 is urging voters to reject proposals at town meeting, the second of which eliminates the requirement that firefighters be certified paramedics. Selectmen are proposing that voters change the fire chief and deputy fire chief positions…

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May 10–Mayor Jeff Longwell came out hard Thursday against a proposal by Wichita’s police and fire unions for a quarter-cent sales tax to fund public safety services. In his weekly news conference, Longwell said the City Council is already working toward implementing a consultant study that recommended more money for law enforcement, including sworn officers and administrative support. “We’re already looking at the budget and how we can move…

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May 08 — SOMERSWORTH, NH — Veteran city firefighter Mike Spinney takes his job seriously and knows the public expects him to. Now he wants the city to respond with a contract, which he says his union has been without since 2012. “When somebody calls the fire department, (they) don’t ask for a circus vehicle with six clowns rolling out of it,” said Spinney, president of Somersworth Firefighters IAFF…

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RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — A federal judge has ordered the City of Reno to pay nearly $1.4 million to a Reno Police Department sergeant who filed a lawsuit claiming his rights were violated. Sergeant Michael Browett filed the suit after he says he was passed over for a promotion five times despite scoring a 90 percent on the Lieutenant’s Exam. Browett says he was being…

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The Gainesville Police Department is struggling to hold onto its officers. GPD only has 279 officers out of a possible 307 budgeted, Police Chief Tony Jones said at a town hall meeting in March. Jones also said then that the agency is “hurting for police officers.” It is not a new development. In the past five years, 110 officers have left GPD. Low pay, poor morale, a contract impasse…

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