Texas Firefighter Fired For Stopping For A Burger
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Texas Firefighter Fired For Stopping For A Burger
A Texas firefighter who stopped to pick up a burger en route to a 911 call about an elderly woman in respiratory distress has been fired.
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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.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Anonymous on May 30, 2008 at 09:13 AM

cant work on an empty belly.
[ Report Abuse ]
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.
[ Report Abuse ]
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.
[ Report Abuse ]
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