What Is Our Biggest Liability?
The headlines are shocking: fire departments sued, incident commanders charged with manslaughter, firefighters held personally liable. We have all been in classes where the instructor warns the students that failing to do it right could prompt Mrs. Smith to get her lawyer and sue you. But what exactly is our biggest liability? Who is most likely to sue us, and just how likely is a lawsuit? The answers will surprise you. This class will look at the liability trends that confront the fire service. The truth is, some of our biggest fears in terms of liability are largely overblown theoretical concerns, while other, more threatening liability traps have gone largely unnoticed. Fire service leaders need this information. Hard decisions need to be based on real liability challenges, not perceived or theoretical possibilities that rarely if ever occur. We now have the data.
