Justice v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville

4 F.3d 1387
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 24, 1993
DocketNo. 92-6039
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 4 F.3d 1387 (Justice v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Justice v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville, 4 F.3d 1387 (6th Cir. 1993).

Opinion

NATHANIEL R. JONES, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs-Appellants (“Plaintiffs”) appeal summary judgment for Defendant-Appellee Metropolitan Government of Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee (“Metro”) in this action for overtime wages. For the reasons stated herein, we reverse and remand for further consideration by the district court.

I.

A.

On February 11, 1991, the Plaintiffs, employees of the Emergency Ambulance and Rescue Division (“Emergency Services”) of the Fire Department for Metro, sued Metro for overtime wages allegedly due them under Section 7(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. § 207(a) (1988). On July 9, 1991, the Plaintiffs filed a motion for partial summary judgment. On August 14, 1991, Metro filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. Metro denied liability on the basis that the Plaintiffs are exempted from the overtime wage provisions of FLSA pursuant to Section 7(k) of FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207(k) (1988), and its accompanying Department of Labor (DOL) regulations. The [1391]*1391district court agreed with Metro and granted its motion for summary judgment.

B.

Metro’s Fire Department is divided into three sections: (1) Fire Suppression, (2) Administration, and (3) Emergency Services. The Fire Suppression division prevents and controls fires. The Administration division is in charge of administrative activities of the department. The Emergency Services division provides emergency medical care and rescue to people in Davidson County.

Emergency Services personnel are dispatched to attend to medical emergencies at the scenes of fires, auto accidents, and crimes. Further, in the event of a riot or natural disaster, these personnel are dispatched. Although Emergency Service personnel are dispatched to fires, Emergency Services is not responsible for fighting fires. Rather, that function is left to the Fire Suppression division.

Emergency Services, while a section of the Fire Department, has its own budget, promotion plan, career development procedure, and pay classifications. Employees of this division must be certified either as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or a paramedic. Emergency Services has approximately 158 employees including sixty-nine EMTs and eighty-nine paramedics.

Emergency Services employees work in two-person teams with the exception of twelve paramedics who are assigned to work in five-person units, each comprised of four firefighters and one paramedic. Metro has also implemented the First Responder Program. Under this program, many fire suppression personnel have received EMT certification. These personnel generally are the first to respond to life-threatening medical emergency calls.

Employees in the Emergency Services Division work a total of 204 hours during a twenty-seven day tour of duty.

Plaintiffs are over 100 EMTs and paramedics who are employees of the Emergency Services Division of Metro’s Fire Department. Many, but not all, of the Plaintiffs have received extensive training in performing rescues and extrication.

II.

On appeal, the Plaintiffs argue that because they are not exempt from the provisions of Section 7(k) of FLSA, the district court erred in granting summary judgment to Metro. This court’s review of a grant of summary judgment is de novo; we use the same test as was used by the district court. See Brooks v. American Broadcasting Cos., 932 F.2d 495, 500 (6th Cir.1991). Under Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” See also Canderm Pharmacal, Ltd. v. Elder Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 862 F.2d 597, 601 (6th Cir.1988). “ ‘[Inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.’” Brooks, 932 F.2d at 500 (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (quoting United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 993, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962))).

In a motion for summary judgment, the moving party bears the initial burden of showing that no genuine issues of material fact remain in dispute. If the moving party meets this burden, the party opposing the motion must come forward with specific facts to show a genuine issue for trial. To sustain this burden, the non-movant cannot rest on the pleadings. Rather, the non-movant must come forward with specific facts or affidavits to supports its claims and show the existence of a genuine, material issue in dispute.

National Solid Wastes Management Ass’n v. Voinovich, 959 F.2d 590, 592 (6th Cir.1992) (citations omitted). “When confronted with a properly supported Motion for Summary Judgment, the party with the burden of proof [1392]*1392at trial is obligated to provide concrete evidence supporting its claims and establishing the existence of a genuine issue of fact.” Cloverdale Equip. Co. v. Simon Aerials, Inc., 869 F.2d 934, 937 (6th Cir.1989).

Employees of state and local governments are entitled to overtime for all hours worked in excess of forty hours per week. 29 U.S.C. § 207(a) (1988) [hereinafter Section 7(a)]; See Garcia v. San Antonio Metro. Transit Auth., 469 U.S. 528, 555-56, 105 S.Ct. 1005, 1020, 83 L.Ed.2d 1016 (1985). Employees engaged in fire protection or law enforcement activities may be excepted from that entitlement pursuant to Section 7(k), which states:

No public agency shall be deemed to have violated subsection (a) of this section with respect to the employment of any employee in fire protection activities or any employee in law enforcement activities ... if—

(1) in a work period of 28 consecutive days the employee receives for tours of duty which in the aggregate exceed the lesser of (A) 216 hours, or (B) the average number of hours (as determined by the Secretary pursuant to section 6(c)(3) of the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1974) in tours of duty of employees engaged in such activities in work periods of 28 consecutive days in calendar year 1975;

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4 F.3d 1387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/justice-v-metropolitan-government-of-nashville-ca6-1993.