By FireRescue1 Staff
DETROIT — Three Detroit fire chiefs have resigned following an October incident that left a firefighter with third-degree burns.
Senior Chief Jack Wiley and Battalion Chiefs Fred Hartmann and Anthony Ellis resigned this week after a fire lieutenant and rookie firefighter swapped shifts on Oct. 13. During the call, the rookie firefighter fell through the floor and suffered serious burns, reported FOX2Detroit.
Fire Lt. David Webster was signed in as the officer in charge of the crew during the call, but swapped shifts with a rookie firefighter. Lt. Webster was suspended for a month and placed on a one-year probation.
The injured firefighter was transported to the hospital in a private ambulance, where he waited two hours in the emergency room. Officials said at least 12 hours passed before the injury was reported. Although the chiefs were told to check on the injured firefighter, no one did, according to the report..
Department officials said they are working to monitor shift swapping, and stated firefighters will no longer use private ambulances.