Last month, David Bowers says he was fired from his job as a greeter at Meijer, a retail chain store in the midwest, for putting out a car fire in the store’s parking lot.
When a customer at the Gaylord, Mich., location asked for help because his car dash was on fire, the 62-year-old told Michigan’s Up North Live he took action, and grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.
“When you have somebody that’s in need,” Bowers asked the station, explaining his actions, “don’t you help them?” Then, reflecting on what came next, he answered his own question: “I guess not.”
Bowers was reportedly fired for leaving his post, a position the Associated Press reports earned him $9.30 an hour greeting shoppers.
Bowers had been reprimanded one other time in his otherwise spotless 4 1/2 years at Meijer, for chasing down a shoplifter.
A statement from Meijer to MLive declines to discuss the specifics of Bowers’ situation, instead deferring to company policy for dealing with emergencies:
Please be assured that this was not a random decision… We have well-established safety procedures for emergency situations and we train all team members on those procedures. These procedures help ensure the safety of everyone – both customers and team members, and our team members know there are consequences when they don’t follow them.
News of the incident has prompted some to voice their displeasure on the company’s Facebook page. Writes one customer, “Are you kidding me? Mr. Bowers should get a promotion not termination. Time to switch stores!”