NORTH PORT, Fla. - Two southwest Florida firefighters have lost their jobs after a lieutenant allegedly skipped an emergency medical call to coach a soccer game.
The North Port Fire Department found that Lt. Robert Combs violated department policy by taking a ladder truck to a soccer match, skipping an emergency call and pressuring other firefighters to cover for him.
Combs resigned on Thursday. Another firefighter was fired for helping him.
Details about the emergency call on Nov. 21 were not disclosed, but there were reportedly enough emergency workers to handle the situation.
Permalink Reply by Russ on December 10, 2009 at 8:01am
what the **** were you thinking? computers, satelites, COPS!!!!, did ya think that the truck dosent attract attention? christ what a bummer....so i guess we get to do our part time job fulltime
when ur a firefighter u hav a responsability. taking a ladder truck to a soccer game is not that responsability. it would be different if he had left the game to go to the medical run. but it is still, im sure against protical, to take an apperatus out of service to coach a game. i just dont see the reasoning behind the lt. decision. he got what he deserved.
but it is still, im sure against protical, to take an apperatus out of service to coach a game.
I don't think it was out of service. It went there with a crew. He did choose however not to respond when required, with the truck.
Those firefighters are dumb? To me your job is a lot more important then some soccer game. Someone could of been really hurt and needed there help. Firefighters like that shouldn`t be in the fire service.