DC Firefighter Faces Disciplinary Action For Fighting Fire

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- A 21 year veteran of the DC Fire Department is facing disciplinary action for allegedly defying a supervisor's order. But what he did has some people calling him a hero. "I'm paid by the citizens of the city. My job is to protect their lives and property," says Lieutenant Gerald Burton. He says he didn't think twice when a group of frantic residents directed him to a house fire on the 1800 block of 2nd Street in Northwest, Washington.

"I don't know if someone's trapped, if there's a baby trapped inside," he told 9NEWS NOW reporter Nancy Yamada.

When he called in to dispatch, he was told to be the back-up to another engine. The problem was that engine hadn't arrived yet. So he made the split second decision to pull out the hoses and fight the fire.

Now, Lieutenant Burton has been officially informed by the department that he is under investigation and facing 2 days unpaid suspension for defying his supervisors order.

Burton's plight has caught the attention of Bob Olsen of Castle Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi in Silver Spring.

"Can you imagine the outcry if he drove by? He didn't think of any of that," Olsen says. Should Burton be punished, Olsen, who's also a volunteer firefighter, has offered to hire Burton for 2 days to make up for his financial loss.

"I hope they take an opportunity to look at the rules and understand that this guy, instead of going by the book and doing what the book says you're doing, he went over and above," Burton says.

9NEWS NOW contacted DC Fire and EMS for comment but were told legally, they can not say anything because it's a personnel matter. A spokesperson would only confirm an investigation is on-going.

As for Lieutenant Burton, despite this situation, he says he has no qualms about answering the next call.