A D.C. firefighter who with his partner stopped for fast food while on an emergency call in March has been terminated, a source familiar with the investigation told News4.
Two firefighter/EMTs assigned to Ambulance 3 stopped at a Chick-fil-A in Northeast D.C. at around 4 p.m. on March 24, instead of responding to a call for a woman suffering chest pain at a Kaiser Permanente about a mile away.
The firefighters said they had already ordered their food on an app when the emergency call came in, so they decided to stop for "literally a few minutes tops," according to a D.C. Fire and EMS special report obtained by News4. The report written by one of the firefighters said "there was no delay in patient care or response."
However, sources familiar with the investigation said the reason that Ambulance 3 was assigned to the call is because it was closer than a medic unit.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
A trial board heard the terminated firefighter's case, and a decision was made to end his employment, a government source familiar with the investigation told News4.
A spokesperson for D.C. Fire and EMS would only confirm the firefighter/EMT was “no longer with the department.”
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The second firefighter on the call that day is still employed pending the outcome of her own trial board.
