The rookie firefighter at the center of a failed response to save the life of an elderly D.C. man suffering a medical emergency outside a firehouse has been placed on administrative leave pending termination.
D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Tim Wilson told News4 Remy Jones' leave and impending termination has nothing to do with the Jan. 25, 2014 death of 77-year-old Medric Cecil Mills.
Mills collapsed and later died after suffering a heart attack at the Brentwood Shopping Center, directly across the street from D.C. Fire Department Engine 26 in Northeast. An official report found that, despite repeated desperate attempts by family members to summon help from Engine 26, no one there responded to help Mills.
Jones was in the midst of a probationary period during his first "rookie" year with the department, when sources said he failed to show up for an assigned shift.
Because Jones is still on probation, he will not have a trial board to determine discipline. Interim Fire Chief Eugene Jones can terminate rookies without going through the union-mandated procedure.
Other firefighters on duty at the time at Engine 26 have been disciplined for the incident, though Lt. Kellene Davis, who was in charge that day, has retired with a full pension.
Former D.C. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe also retired this year after three years on the job.
