Firefighter Resigns Over Strip Poker Game
Medical Call Received During Game

POSTED: 5:20 pm CST March 11, 2004
UPDATED: 5:48 pm CST March 11, 2004

MISSOURI CITY, Texas -- A Missouri City firefighter was fired and three others were disciplined after they played a game of strip poker while on duty at their fire station, News2Houston reported in an exclusive story Thursday.

Three male firefighters and one female paramedic participated in the game, which took place in January at Fire Station 4 in Sienna Plantation, officials said.

Missouri City's fire chief said he found out about the incident on a Friday and investigated all weekend.

"How could anybody be that stupid?" Fire Chief Mark Ewald said. "According to our investigation, it went down to where one person was covered only with a towel."

Ewald said the game was "totally unacceptable" and could have resulted in a dangerous situation.

"(If the alarm had sounded), it would have been a delayed response, because people would have had to get dressed before they could have responded," he said.

One emergency medical call was received during the poker game. The paramedic, who was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, rushed to put the rest of her clothes on to respond, according to authorities.

The chief said the paramedic was only delayed by seconds and the patient refused transport, so a life was not in danger.

Ewald asked firefighter Gus Lopez to resign. He said that Lopez was the acting supervisor at the time, and was the player dressed only in a towel. Ewald said Lopez also interfered with the investigation. Lopez could not be reached for comment.

Four other firefighters were disciplined, but specifics were not released.

The Fort Bend County EMS department is still conducting its investigation on the female paramedic's role. Officials will then determine if and what disciplinary measures to take.

Sienna Plantation residents were disturbed when they heard about the strip poker game.

"That shouldn't happen. If they want to play, go to somebody's house and play their games," a resident said.

"I have a problem with that because it (could) delay their reaction time," another resident said.

"It's not something you should be doing while you're at work," another resident said.

Source: Click2Houston