A Washington, D.C., firefighter has been dismissed after he and a colleague stopped at a Chick-fil-A while en route to a medical emergency, WRC-TV reported.
On March 24, the firefighter/EMTs assigned to Ambulance 3 chose to collect a fast food order instead of immediately responding to a 911 emergency call, where a 57-year-old woman was experiencing chest pain, according to WRC-TV.
The duo defended their actions in a report, claiming they had pre-ordered their meal through an app and the detour took “literally a few minutes tops.” The report, written by one of the firefighters, asserted that “there was no delay in patient care or response,” the outlet noted.
DC firefighter fired after stopping for Chick-fil-A while on emergency call, source says https://t.co/6Jxpm8Gj04
— IAEMSC (@iaemsc) October 27, 2023
The firefighters were reportedly responding to an ASL (advanced life support) emergency, which is considered a priority call. Ambulance 3 had been dispatched due to it being closer to the caller’s location than a medic unit, suggesting a shorter response time. The first-responders explained it had been a busy day and they were tired and hungry, per WRC-TV. (RELATED: ‘I Hate Black People’: Police Officer Fired Over Racist Text Messages)
The case was presented before a trial board, and one of the firefighter’s employment was subsequently terminated, a spokesperson for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department confirmed to the outlet.
The other firefighter involved in the incident remains employed at the department pending the outcome of her own trial, the report says.