Opinion ID: 1343601
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: liability of city defendants

Text: 6. In their first amended complaint and response to the city's motion for summary judgment, the plaintiffs allege that the city was negligent in (a) hiring, training, and supervising the pool staff; (b) failing to control the horseplay that caused Hamilton to be thrown into the water; and (c) failing to intercede after the deputy sheriff interrupted the private rescue effort. The first allegation deals with the city's policies and practices; the remaining two allegations address the lifeguard's and pool manager's actions at the swimming pool. (a) In Jordan, we did not address the plaintiff's additional allegation that the Rome police department was negligent in training radio dispatch officers because that claim did not deal with the duty of police officers to respond to emergency requests for help. [24] Implicit in that decision was the conclusion that the public duty doctrine does not apply to a claim of negligence in training emergency personnel. I would expressly decide today that the public duty doctrine does not apply to claims for negligent hiring, training, and supervision of public employees. Unlike the emergency situations in which a police officer is required to make a split-second decision about a course of action to protect individuals, the government makes a more deliberate and informed decision in hiring or training personnel. In that situation, no special duty is required in addition to the general duty of government to hire qualified personnel, provide adequate training, and exercise competent supervision. As a result, the public duty doctrine does not apply to Hamilton's claim against the city for negligent hiring, training, and supervision of pool personnel. (b) The remaining issue is whether Hamilton must show a special relationship with the lifeguard and pool manager under the public duty doctrine. As in the negligent hiring claim, I would refuse to extend the public duty doctrine to the negligence claims against the employees at the city-operated swimming pool. Unlike police, the pool personnel have no duty to protect the general public; their responsibility is limited to the members of the public who are attending the swimming pool. The city had made its decision on allocating its limited resources when it chose to open the Hill Street pool, hired a pool manager to operate it, and invited the public to use it. By these actions, the city gave a general assurance to persons who entered the facility that its employees would protect them from harm, rescue swimmers in trouble, and help injured persons. [25] Without addressing the duty required of the lifeguard, [26] I would decide only that the public duty doctrine does not apply to the negligence claims against him, the pool manager, or the City of Montezuma. In conclusion, I agree with the majority opinion that the public duty doctrine does not apply to the actions of the city's pool manager, lifeguard, or hiring personnel since none of the claims against the city involve police services. I disagree, however, that the public duty doctrine established in City of Rome v. Jordan is limited to the police protection context. Instead, I would hold that the public duty doctrine applies to the claims against the county, but that a special relationship was established between Hamilton and the deputy sheriff under the circumstances of this case.