A firefighter's job comes with tremendous responsibilities to his or her community, department and colleagues. The focus of this book, though, is not on those responsibilities but something often overlooked: A firefighter's rights in the employment relationship. This fourth edition of The Rights of Firefighters updates the most comprehensive and widely-circulated book on firefighter rights. The book is written in straight-forward, direct language for all those involved in fire protection labor and employment matters. The book not only describes the rights of firefighters, but also covers important recent developments in the areas of free speech, residency rules, drug testing, fitness for duty and the Fair Labor Standards Act.