Do firefighters owe a duty to warn about inherent risks on the premises?

• A. Yes
• B. Only for non-inherent risks
• C. No
• D. Only if the risk is newly discovered

Answer: (C)

Firefighters doing their job are treated as assuming the risks that come with responding to an emergency. The rule recognizes that a property owner does not owe a duty to warn professional rescuers about hazards that are inherent to the rescue situation. In other words, dangers that are part of fighting a fire or performing a rescue aren’t something the owner must warn about. This allows firefighters to act quickly without a duty to warn that could impede response. The duty to warn would apply only to hazards that are not inherent to the emergency (or hazards created by actions outside the rescue), not to those intrinsic to the rescue scenario. So, there is no duty to warn about inherent risks on the premises.