Curt Varone

Curt Varone is a practicing attorney licensed in Rhode Island and Maine. He retired from the Providence, Rhode Island, Fire Department, in 2008 as a Deputy Assistant Chief and served as the Director of Public Fire Protection at the National Fire Protection Association.

Curt has over forty-five years in the fire service, having become a volunteer firefighter in North Providence in 1972. In 1979 he was hired as a full-time firefighter by the Providence Fire Department. He has served with both Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force MATF01 and Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue Task Force RITF01. He remains active as a deputy chief in Exeter, Rhode Island.

Curt has two bachelors degrees from Providence College, the first in biology (1978), and the second in fire safety (1982) summa cum laude. He is a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Class of 1985. Since graduating from law school, he has engaged in the general practice of law.

In 1997, Curt completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, becoming the first person ever to receive four Outstanding Applied Research Awards. In 1998 he was awarded an Executive Fire Officer Fellowship to study Advanced Issues in State and Local Government at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also has taught in the Executive Development program at the National Fire Academy.

Curt teaches courses in Fire Tactics, Fire Protection, Fire Service Law,  Collective Bargaining, Firefighter Occupational Safety & Health, and Applications of Fire Research/Capstone in the fire science program at Providence College. Besides teaching at the National Fire Academy, he served as an instructor-coordinator for the Rhode Island Fire Academy, and taught NIMS ICS for Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. 

Curt's first book, Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, is now in its Third Edition and published by Fire Engineering. His second book, Fire Officer's Legal Handbook, was released in November of 2007. He also serves as a Contributing Editor for Firehouse Magazine and writes the Fire Law column.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law. The Court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.