Legal Definitions - fireman's rule

The fireman's rule is a legal principle that generally prevents public safety professionals, such as firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, from suing property owners or others for injuries sustained while responding to an emergency, if those injuries arise from the inherent risks of their dangerous profession.

The rule is based on the idea that these professionals are trained, equipped, and compensated to confront the specific hazards associated with their duties, and therefore, they are deemed to have assumed those risks. It aims to prevent lawsuits against individuals who, through no intentional fault, create a situation that requires emergency response. However, the rule typically does not protect against injuries caused by intentional misconduct, gross negligence unrelated to the emergency, or hazards that are entirely separate from the reason for the emergency call.

• Example 1: A firefighter responds to a call about a large commercial building engulfed in flames. While inside battling the blaze, a section of the roof, weakened by the intense heat, suddenly collapses, causing the firefighter to suffer a leg injury. Under the fireman's rule, the firefighter would generally be prevented from suing the building owner for this injury, as a collapsing structure is an inherent and foreseeable risk associated with fighting a major fire.

• Example 2: A police officer is dispatched to a residence to investigate a reported home invasion. Upon entering the dimly lit house to search for suspects, the officer trips over a loose electrical cord left on the floor by the homeowner, resulting in a sprained ankle. The fireman's rule would likely apply here, as navigating potentially hazardous and unfamiliar environments, including encountering ordinary household obstructions, is an inherent risk police officers assume when responding to emergency calls like a home invasion.

• Example 3: Paramedics are called to an apartment where an individual is experiencing a severe mental health crisis and is acting erratically. As the paramedics attempt to provide aid, the individual suddenly becomes violent and strikes one of the paramedics, causing a concussion. The fireman's rule would typically prevent the injured paramedic from suing the individual or the apartment owner, as dealing with unpredictable and potentially aggressive patients is an inherent and accepted risk of providing emergency medical services in such situations.