Legal

Do firefighters need a last will and testament? What are the pros and cons of having such a document?

Fire departments facing personnel issues and decisions involving qualified individuals with disabilities should evaluate every applicable law and issue before making a final judgment. In the case of Carr v. Reno, [1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 11606 (D.C. Cir. 1994)], the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia affirmed a District Court opinion under the Rehabilitation Act (RA) stating that the maintenance of a regular fixed work schedule could be considered an essential function of the job.

Factory Mutual recently awarded a $3,000 arson fund grant to the Waltham (MA) Fire Department. The department will purchase a notebook-type computer for tracking fire investigation data, according to Chief Thomas Keough.

In the past year, the topic of many of these columns has been the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although fire departments have focused on the ADA, several other federal and some state laws have emerged as areas of difficulty as well. Prudent fire departments should be aware of all the applicable federal and state laws regarding discrimination, know the requirements of each, and ensure the department is in compliance. Below are several of the major federal provisions of which the fire s

As a small suburban community fire department, we have our share of issues and concerns, as we respond to an average of 1,300 fire calls annually. As a department, we have perceived a potential legal issue that most likely can be circumvented via an insurance policy. Through our limited local resources, neither the legal profession nor the insurance industry has fully responded to this issue for us.

I need help in getting information regarding warning light colors, especially green lights. Current Illinois law allows volunteers to use only blue lights on their personal vehicles. The red, blue, and white combinations are reserved for law enforcement, ambulances, rescue squads, and fire department-owned vehicles. Since green is not specifically addressed by the codes, it is not allowed. I have noticed several departments in the state are using green on their apparatus, though.

Editor`s note: The Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) number for sodium hydrosulfide in the May 1995 Chemical Data Notebook Series #105 (page 75) should be 16721-80-5.

Sexual harassment should be an issue of concern to all fire service managers. As more women enter nontraditional job fields, including the fire service, it becomes increasingly necessary to reassess the standards of behavior in the workplace. Although many organizations have sexual harassment policies in place, problems continue to arise in the workplace.

平等雇佣机会委员会(EEOC) "Enforcement Guidance on Preemployment Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)" was recently issued for internal use by EEOC investigators, pending coordination with other agencies under Executive Order 12067. This new enforcement guidance document should be "must" reading for all fire service organization personnel departments and other departments that perform job interviews.