A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses the Los Angeles County Fire Department of exposing a longtime civilian employee to fatal levels of carcinogens without proper protective equipment or safety protocols. The suit was filed by the family of Michael Potechin, a 54-year-old Equipment Maintenance Supervisor who died of lung cancer in May 2024 after more than two decades of service.
According to the complaint, Potechin spent 24 years in the Construction and Maintenance Division of the fire department, primarily at a maintenance facility in Pacoima. His duties included testing and repairing SCBAs, hoses, and small engines—equipment that often arrived contaminated from active fire scenes. Unlike front-line firefighters, Potechin and his fellow civilian staff were allegedly given no personal protective equipment (PPE) and worked directly with off-gassing gear.
The lawsuit alleges that contaminated equipment was routinely transported directly from incidents to the shop without field decontamination. As a result, maintenance workers like Potechin experienced prolonged exposure to carcinogens such as PAHs, PBDEs, OPFRs, and diesel exhaust. The suit highlights that while firefighters were issued PPE and had some decontamination protocols, those same protections were not extended to maintenance personnel—even though their exposure time was often longer.
The complaint includes four causes of action: (1) Dangerous Condition of Public Property, (2) Fraudulent Concealment, (3) Intentional Misrepresentation, and (4) Negligence. The plaintiffs contend that the County knowingly failed to provide PPE, ignored calls for better safety protocols, and concealed the health risks from Potechin and others. The suit also invokes the fraudulent concealment exception to the workers’ compensation exclusivity rule, potentially allowing the case to proceed in civil court.
Notably, the complaint is heavily footnoted with citations to scientific and governmental sources documenting the cancer risks of exposure to fire-related chemicals. The plaintiffs allege that while the County was fully aware of the dangers, as demonstrated by its efforts to protect firefighters, it took no action to protect civilians like Potechin who routinely handled contaminated equipment.
Here is a copy of the complaint:
