John K. Murphy weights in on a St. Paul firefighter's federal legal claims of discrimination because of his limited eyesight won a $528,432 payout, according to a settlement reached by attorneys for the city and plaintiff.

Attorney and former deputy fire chief John K. Murphy reviews a legal case involving a police department's "failure to train" its personnel and has advice for fire departments on how to avoid getting entangled in a similar lawsuit over firefighter training.

If the fire service doesn’t adapt to the current economic situation, John K. Murphy argues, we will be doomed for extinction in the current way we conduct our business.

John K. Murphy discusses a recent court decision that underscores how fire department policies on use of leave taken under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) could potentially expose them to litigation.

What authority does an employer have to compel mandatory overtime for firefighters? John K. Murphy looks at the issue of forced overtime, firefighter safety, and job performance.

On Octonber 7, 2008, an ordinary and “routine” house fire turned into something else for four Sacramento (CA) firefighters. Hear Captain Jeff Helvin recount the harrowing tale of his near-death experience and his crew’s survival of a flashover.

Grain silo entrapments are a leading cause of death among farmers and agricultural workers. John K. Murphy points out some of the hazards of firefighters conducting confined space rescue operations and this type of incident and some resources to help educate rescuers.

If your fire department is sued, one of the first things the plaintiff’s lawyer will seek is your department’s Personnel Policy Manual. John K. Murphy tells you what issues these Personnel Policy Manuals ought to cover.

John K. Murphy writes about the legal and moral issues surrounding the recent firefighting controversy in Tennessee in which firefighters did not respond to a structure fire because the homeowner failed to pay his annual fire protection fee.

John K. Murphy recommends providing preventative Equal Employment Opportunity training to firefighters and fire officers before it becomes a punitive resolution to a firefighter discrimination lawsuit.

What is the future for the fire service in this period of declining revenues, budget cuts, and the increasing trend to look at outsourcing as an alternative? John K. Murphy looks at "doomsday" scenarios for fire departments in communities around the nation.

The fire service should be alarmed at the recent spate of news stories about firefighter arsonists. John K. Murphy and Beth L. Murphy offer a profile of warning signs to look for to identify possible arsonists in our ranks and best practices on how volunteer departments can screen for potential arsonists.

The firing of General Stanley McChrystal has some lessons to impart to modern leaders in the fire service. John K. Murphy discusses how venting frustrations can backfire.

Are your fire stations properly displaying current federal and state labor laws? John K. Murphy discusses how this can cost your department and steps to take to ensure you are compliant.

Attorney and retired deputy fire chief John K. Murphy recounts his experience moderating the FDIC 2010 panel on diversity in the fire service, which was made up of  Chief Cheryl Horvath, Lt. Joseph Muhammad, and Lt. Frank Ricci. 

A big room panel discussion at FDIC 2010 examined one of the most combustible issues in the fire service: diversity and discrimination.

Lt. Frank Ricci [New Haven (CT) Fire Department] describes himself as “a lifelong student of the fire service.”  To him, instructing at FDIC is an honor and “a testament to all those who took the time to teach me and provide guidance.”

There has been a lot of hubbub about diversity in the fire service, but it's hard to tackle the issue without a consensus definition. John K. Murphy takes a look at a variety of ways the firefighting community has approached diversity.