Texas Firefighter Fired For Stopping For A Burger

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(May 28, 2008)--An Austin firefighter who stopped to pick up a hamburger en route to help a woman in respiratory distress has been fired.

Officials say Michael Pooler's decision to stop at the Burger House next to his fire station before jumping onto a fire truck delayed the emergency response by two minutes.

The 911 call originated from a medical clinic and in an audio recording of the call, a clinic employee told a dispatcher that the patient was a 77-year-old woman who was having difficulty talking and breathing at the same time.

The Austin American-Statesman reported the patient's condition was not known.

Fire Department spokeswoman Michelle DeCrane said paramedics from Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services reached the patient before firefighters.

Pooler declined through a union representative to comment on the firing.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 30, 2008 at 09:13 AM
cant work on an empty belly.

Posted by: Gunny Location: Central Texas on May 30, 2008 at 07:46 AM
I would like to clear up a few questions. The fireman that was fired was the supervisor of the crew that day, that is why the rest of the crew did not respond to the call without him. This call was to a clinic. A clinic that has Doctors and Registered Nurses on staff. They are not trained in emergency medicine, so they call 911 to get an ambulance to take the patient to the ER. A firetruck get dispatched in Austin to most medical calls. So is sending a Basic EMT FF to a call where Drs and Nurses are already there BS, you decide. Should this guy be fired, absolutely.

Posted by: Does it matter on May 29, 2008 at 10:57 PM
I do not work in an emergancy department, but I would think it wouldn't matter if he went over before the call came in to get his burger. If he was on duty, shouldn't he have had his radio on him either way? And maybe they send out the fire department just incase EMS can't get there first...Like I said, I don't work emergency calls, just thought on duty emergency personel always had thier radios on them when on duty.

Posted by: DT Location: Cove on May 29, 2008 at 07:11 PM
Okay, first of all, did Ashley's dad ever eat at Dan's....that could explain the heart condition. As for spelling and grammar, even you rocket scientists that are correcting the other rocket scientists are using bad grammar and incorrect spelling. As for the firefighter that stopped for the hamburger (remember, that's what the story was about), I really don't think the media would have been very excited to report a story about a firefighter who got a call while getting a hamburger. Think about it......don't hurt yourselves.

Posted by: Wilbur Location: from the woods on May 29, 2008 at 06:14 PM
Some of you can't spell and can't take a correction. You must be democrats. By the way, I don't see anything wrong with stopping for a burger (unless you have a Snickers bar in your pocket).

Posted by: John Location: waco on May 29, 2008 at 03:56 PM
I am with Madmax, Dan's Hamburgers are pretty good. I prefer Dirty Martins on the "Drag" though. Home of the greasy spoon.

Posted by: Susie Location: Central Texas on May 29, 2008 at 02:44 PM
To Waco1000, I didn't know they were doing that (EMS, COP, & FD)...we live in a small town. But I would think with the price of gas that the less gas they use the better.

Posted by: Patriot Location: Tx on May 29, 2008 at 01:23 PM
LOL, yeah let's have no typos cuz Judge Wilbur ..umm (from the woods) is watching. MadMax, I've never been to Dan's. I'll have to try them sometime. There's not enough info as to the circumstances but it could be very possible he'd done this before. This may be a precautionary act against an urge for Red Lobster!

Posted by: Waco1000 Location: Waco on May 29, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Tamara, good point on the guy who drove himself from the hospital. We also need to hear a little more of the story, maybe he was already gettin his burger and thats why it only took 2 minutes. LOL. Ashley, sorry about your loss, i know where you are coming from, sometimes in Waco you get better response time depending on your location and social status. Susie, i believe they are doing that in a lot of places now, where the cops, EMS and the fire dept go out. I can kind of see why, but at the same time not. OH YEAH, THEY CAUGHT HOMEBOY FROM MART!

Posted by: Susan Location: Waco on May 29, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Watch out, Anonymous, Wilbur is coming to get you...

Posted by: Anonymous on May 29, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Ooh man I meant to say, "Things that make you go humm... I had a typo. Ooh man, the world is going to end now!

Posted by: Madmax Location: Killeen on May 29, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Well, hopefully it was from Dan's Hamburger's in Austin, ever been??? That place is the BEST!!! What the news hasn't clarified is if he was already at the burger place without his radio and the call went out and he just didn't know until he came back or did the call go out and he walked out of the station to go to the burger place. If it is A, I don't think he should be fired, if it is B, then he should...

Posted by: angie Location: waco on May 29, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Too many ignorant people make prank calls to 911. They are taking advantage of a service that is provided for us. It's people like that, that screw everything up for the honest people. Ashley sorry for your loss.

Posted by: Bill Location: central tx. on May 29, 2008 at 11:40 AM
I have been a firefighter for 30 years and have never heard of anything like this in a paid department. We are on duty 24 hours a day and when a call comes in WE GO. You drop whatever you doing and respond to the call, no matter what type of call it is. I would be very shocked to learn that Fire Fighters Union would even back this person. There is no justification for his actions.

Posted by: Tamara Location: Waco on May 29, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Ashley sorry for your lost, but now we know why the man that was shot in his home last week drove himself to the hospital. That was for all those who said, "why didn't he wait for the ambulance?” Cynthia! Good point Jeff what about the rest of the firemen, did they wait for the one fireman to get a burger or was he picking up all their orders? Thinks that make you go humm....

Posted by: Susie Location: Central Texas on May 29, 2008 at 11:13 AM
My question is....isn't this an EMS call anyway? There wasn't a fire, so why was the fire dept. called? Here, where I live, ONLY the EMS would have been called!

Posted by: a mom Location: waco on May 29, 2008 at 10:31 AM
waco's 911 is slow when they pick up phone they ask which you need fire or ems or police then put on hold then another person comes on then you can start getting help. which if your the person calling in for help seems like a life time.not only do they want to know where to send help but info on the caller too. I thought that 911 as caller ID so when you ring in it brings up all the info from where/phone you are calling from.( I understand if a cell phone call it a little harder but a landline give me a break) ok back to story was the guy already at the bruger place when call came in and he was called back or did he go after the call came in.

Posted by: Hey Wilbur on May 29, 2008 at 10:06 AM
If you are going to comment on spelling, spell correctly yourself!

Posted by: susiebw Location: kempner on May 29, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Well that's a no-brainer. He should have been fired and arrested.

Posted by: ashley Location: waco on May 29, 2008 at 09:34 AM
Well 911 to me isn't very QUICK on DEC 5th my dad was having a heart attack & the operator was more worried about if I was making a prank call rather than worrying about my Daddy's condition, it took the ambulance about 30 minutes to arrive & we live like 2 blocks away from their building. 5 days later in the hospital I lost my Dad so it makes me wonder what if they'd just came a little quicker?

Posted by: Cynthia Location: Moody on May 29, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Maybe he was having a "Big-Mac" attack!

Posted by: jeff Location: bell on May 29, 2008 at 09:18 AM
there are more that 1 firefighter on that fire ENG. At one time. What were the other firemen doing. A burger stand that takes only 2 minutes to get a burger out. !

Posted by: Tamara Location: Waco on May 29, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Everyone be careful it looks like Wilbur is on the grammar and spelling committee. Madmax, I thought your joke was funny.

Posted by: me on May 28, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Kind of makes you think he has been on some bs calls. I'm not justifying what he did, just think everyone ought to realize there is always more than one side to the story, and we never know what someone's history is.

Posted by: Madmax Location: Killeen on May 28, 2008 at 08:56 PM
Bout time a Firefighter gets burnt instead of a Police Officer... Ok, bad joke..sorry, but just had to..

Posted by: Wilbur Location: from the woods on May 28, 2008 at 07:08 PM
To News Watcher: and you, my friend, need some spelling resuscitation, I'recon.

Posted by: Jason Location: Ft.Hood on May 28, 2008 at 06:19 PM
Pure selfishness.

Posted by: News Watcher Location: Waco on May 28, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Ten to one the fire fighter will get re-instated and only a slap on the hand. Just hope he doesn't get too chubby eating those burgers. He may get short winded and be in need of some respitory resusatation.

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