Our friend Grant Mishoe at SConFire.com discovered this very interesting story. A Georgetown, South Carolina firefighter says he was forced to resign from his job because he helped out at a crash scene on July 15, a day he called in sick. It wasn’t just any accident. According to news reports the collision involved four teens in Plantersville. One is a 17-year-old boy who is Chris Avant’s neighbor. Avant’s story is his fiancé ran into the house telling him he had to help.
The family of another victim started a petition trying to get Avant back on the job. Georgetown City Fire Chief Joey Tanner and Assistant Chief Bill Johnson say they aren’t providing details and responding to reporters questions because it is a personnel matter.
Avant admits he had been in trouble before but described them all as minor incidents, including backing a fire truck into a stop sign.
So, what do you think? Is this a firing offense? If you do, what if the fiancé had run in saying it wasn’t a neighbor, but their own son or other relative?
The Georgetown Times has more details than the TV story. Here is some of what is known from the July 22 article by Scott Harper:
Avant said he had been sick for more than a day with the virus but when the accident occurred at around 6 p.m. he was feeling “a little better.”
Callie Pope said her 15-year-old stepson, Shane Pope, was one of the four teens in the vehicle when it flipped four times on a gravel road.
Avant said he heard the call about the accident on his radio but did not immediately respond since he was sick.
However, a few minutes later, his fiancé ran in the house asking him to help because their neighbor, a 17-year-old, was one of the people seriously hurt.
Avant said he knew there could be some problems at work if he responded because he had called in sick, but he also knew his neighbor needed help.
Because of a training class taking place near the Nine Mile Curve between Georgetown and Andrews at the time, it took longer than normal for EMS to arrive.
Also on STATter911 …
- Teenagers pull man from burning Georgetown, Ohio home. Second time within minutes that one of the teens saved a life. – August 16, 2011
- Clark County, Nevada battalion chief fired in sick leave probe. Renee Dillingham accused of keeping calendar of planned sick days. – July 22, 2011
- Raw video: Quick knock at house fire not fast enough. Elderly woman dead in Ypsilanti, Michigan. – May 13, 2011
- Video: Car crashes into Hooters & catches fire. The story from St. Louis. – January 22, 2011
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Yeah, it is a firing offense. Whoever tried to fire this guy should be canned.
No way, punishment doesn’t fit the crime. His story is plausable enough. They must have something else on him. Keep in mind before you think “Local Union” SC is a right to work state.
No good deed goes unpunished.
No. I don’t think it’s a firing offense unless he’s a chronic sick leave abuser.
He legitimately called in sick and the emergenet situation occured near his residence and he took action. What was he supposed to do?
What if one of the patients developed and airway compromise or suffered traumatic asphxysia or developed full Cardiac Arrest?
I HAVE KNOWN CHIEF TANNER FOR 20 YEARS … JOEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAIR, UPSTANDING GUY… THERE’S GOT TO BE A WHOLE LOT MORE TO THIS STORY THAN IS BEING TOLD!!
First, I have to correct HoChiMan. A “Right-to-Work” State has to do with an employee joining a Union. An “At-Will” state means you can be terminated without cause, as long as it does not violate any laws.
Now in regards to this termination, when Fire Chief’s know they screwed up, they refuse to discuss the issue and say it is a “Personnel Issue”. This fire fighter was doing what he was trained to do, SAVE LIVES. I don’t think there is a brother or sister alive, and if they were physically able, whether on sick leave or not, would respond in just the same way as Brother Avant. I would have to assume that this Chief and his assistant spent very little time as a front line firefighter. I also have to assume that Brother Avant has brought up safety issues within his department and they were looking for a reason to fire him.
The Fire Chief should be ashamed
I would say that it is a firing offense, but good judgment should take over in this case. B/C this guy is such a good firefighter he showed up when he knew he could get canned for it. Give a day on the street no pay – but don’t fire the guy.
AGAIN, IVE KNOWN CHIEF JOEY TANNER… A VERY SEASONED AND EXPERIENCED FIREFIGHTER, A CHIEF RECONGIZED FOR RUNNING A STRAIGHTUP DEPT. FOR OVER 20 YEARS.. I’VE TAUGHT CLASSES WITH HIM… KNOW SOME OF HIS MEN AND KNOW OF HIS.. AND HIS DEPARTMENT’S REPUTATION.
BELIEVE ME .. THERE’S MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY THAN MEETS THE EYE..
COULD THE CHIEF HAVE MISHANDELED THIS ISSUE… MAYBE.. BUT IT’S HIGHLY UNLIKELY. THE DETAILS WILL COME OUT EVENTUALLY AND EVERONE WILL SAY ..OH… SO THAT’S WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
well, in PG County he would have been given a medal. Just saying.
No it is not a firing offense. They train us to help. Just because you call in sick does not mean you have to lay in bed for 24 hours. If he was at a bar or fishing, further investigation would be needed. According to what we know, he was just doing what he was trained to do. There has to be more to the story on both sides.
Tommy is there a need to type with the caps on? WE GET IT YOU’RE UPSET PEOPLE ARE BASHING CHIEF TANNER. Let’s calm the frig down and get out of bed with Chief Tanner. The thing is Tanner was looking for a reason to fire him because he fired him right after this sick day incident. If he was going to fire him for something else that he did wrong then why didn’t Tanner just come out and say the real reasons that he was fired for?
It’s no wonder that people don’t step up more often and come to the aid of people in need. How many times do we sit back and watch people dying on amateur video because nobody intervened? This adminstration should be ashamed of themselves. We are sworn an oath and that involves a “DUTY TO ACT”. Was he capable of riding a backstep and performing at 100% capacity on a working fire? Maybe not. Was his “virus” capable of placing his co-workers and potential patients at risk, absolutely. Regardless of his ailment, he is a known public servant in his community and when presented with an emergency nearly at his doorstep, he (as most other brother and sister firefighters would have) stepped up to the plate to assist. Had he not, and was known to have been home watching from the window, how would that reflect the department? If the injuries were more life threatening or fatal he would have to live with the ramifications of not intervening. Hats off to you brother! Assemble a good legal team and bury those bastards!
Hey, AnonymousNOVAEngineDriver. Very well said, great post.
Like any story, there`s something we all don`t know about going on here. “Forced” to resign? OK, when I terminated someone, I terminated them. I didn`t suggest that they resign. Sounds fishy to me.
Gee, being a trained responder, did he have a “duty” to act (even in an off-duty environment) when he was specifically requested to help?
Recall the recent flap in NYC where two “off-duty” EMS dispatchers with EMT training were disciplined for supposedly not rendering aid to someone who was sick in the restaurant where they were on their “off the clock” lunch break. Did they have a duty to act even though they were not technically “on duty?”
Can you imagine the grief and potential retributions if the neighbor’s child had suffered debilitating injuries or death? Imagine the guilt trip that would be facing that “sick” firefighter! What about the personal issues he would face (both in his own mind and that of his family and friends) if that injured child had been ignored by him? Gee, isn’t that a person making a self-sacrifice to help others? The good Samaritan? Some might say no good deed goes unpunished??
In most goverment agencies, there is usually an employee handbook that outline disciplinary procedures, including hearings and appeals. Most outline a progressive systems of warnings, suspensions, etc. with termination usually defined as a “last resort” to deal with an employee. Courts have consistently ruled that if a handbook with such rules in published/issued, then the terms, conditions, and procedures are binding on both the employer and employee. Even in an “at will” state. In such a state, many employers won’t even give a reason for the termination since they can then be challenged via the legal process to back-up that claim with irrefutable “evidence”. Many ex-employees win these legal claims and receive compensation, new jobs, promotions, etc. depending upon the actual claim made.
There are consultants that tell employers that they may be better off not creating a written policy/personnel manual just to avoid such challenges.
As for me personally, I would want my “sick” neighbor to take care of my child (or me) if I was in trouble, even if it is only for a few minutes until the “on-duty” professionals arrive. In sme situations, a few minutes and a few simple procedures may save a life!
And as a retired firefighter and paramedic, I can recall many situations where I was requested to response to my neighbor’s emergency, even when I was sick or otherwise.
Georgetown City FD, well….I think the chief was wrond, say what you want about him, but you never know, some city admin toolbag may have been the one who did this. Most of the elected officals around the SC coast are toolbags, and they make a ton of really poor decisions. If it was the chief, wonder if he would have done the same thing if it was one of his family members??? There is a question for ya Joey Tanner….
That “Chief” should be ashamed of himself. What a horrible excuse of a firefighter. I would advise this “Chief” to quit now. He better not show his face around any Fire Service activities.
The guy was doing the right thing! He got up out of his house and went to help. The story even admits they had a extended response.
By the way any records are subject to the FOIA besides HIPPA protected ones. Sue the crap out of them!