Symons vs. City of Riverside – Legal Alert

Dear Members,

I am pleased to share with you that the California Supreme Court has denied the petition for review filed by Symons in the Symons vs. City of Riverside case. Additionally, the court denied requests by Symons and Riverside LEMSA, REMSA, for de-publication of the Court of Appeal’s opinion in Symons vs. City of Riverside. The Symons vs. City of Riverside opinion is now final and binding precedent in California.

CalChiefs wishes to thank the City of Riverside Fire Department and the City of Riverside leadership for their steadfast position through this long legal process. We wish to thank our collaborative partners at FDAC for their collaboration with CalChiefs in our filings in this case. Additionally, I want to thank our attorney, Andrew Schouten, for his exceptional work on persuading the Court of Appeal to publish its decision and the California Supreme Court for declining to take the appeal and denying the requests for de-publication.

There is much more to come on this issue but this communication provides you with a valuable update in the case. There will be a presentation on this case by our attorney at the upcoming CFED conference.

This ruling will significantly strengthen the California fire service’s role in providing high quality EMS services to the communities that we serve. Attached, please find a “legal alert” regarding Symons vs. City of Riverside.

Chief Mark Heine
President, California Fire Chiefs Association