Firefighter

Firefighter Convicted of Kidnapping in Cannabis Theft Retaliation, Faces City Employment Review

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ESTACADA, Oregon – A Portland firefighter has been found guilty of two counts of first-degree kidnapping after locking a man inside a shipping container in a bid to recover stolen cannabis. Douglas Bourland, 48, had allegedly scared Colbey Fleishman into revealing the whereabouts of around 260 pounds of marijuana that he had stolen from Bourland’s business, the Oregon Hemp House. The trial lasted for three days before a Multnomah County jury delivered the guilty verdicts against Bourland. He has been on unpaid leave from Portland Fire & Rescue since his indictment in August 2021. The … Read more

Former Firefighter Convicted of Arson in Dramatic Four-Day Trial

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POLSON, Montana – A former firefighter was found guilty of arson last Thursday after a four-day trial at the Lake County Courthouse. The verdict came after the jury reached a unanimous decision on two of the four charges against Craig McClure. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the other two counts. During the trial, Judge Robert Deschamps advised the jurors to collaborate and reiterated that they should not avoid their duty. After about five hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously determined that McClure was guilty of starting the Finley fire on … Read more

Former Inmate’s Dream of Becoming a Firefighter Derailed by Unjust Criminal Record Restrictions

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Los Angeles, California – Finding employment can be a challenging task for many individuals, but for Fernando Herrera, the obstacles are even greater. As a teenager, Herrera committed two felonies, resulting in a lifelong ban from his dream job as a firefighter in the state of California. Despite his troubled past, Herrera turned his life around and discovered his passion for firefighting. While serving time in prison, he worked as an unpaid firefighter and continued his journey upon release as a volunteer firefighter. Herrera even played a vital role in extinguishing the devastating 2018 Camp … Read more