Recognizing that no one could save the premature infants’ lives, he and an attending paramedic turned their attention to getting the mother to the hospital. Only later, when it was clear that the mother’s life was not in danger, was there time to rethink what had been done with the fetuses.
That they had been flushed into a septic tank was crushingly painful to everyone who learned of the incident. The knowledge was so painful, the very thought of it so unbearable, that someone had to be held accountable.
That someone turned out to be Davis.
Perhaps that is appropriate. We do want emergency responders to be cool under pressure, to be trained to react appropriately to any emergency, to make good decisions. Above all, we want them to save lives.
That’s what Davis thought he was doing. If he made an ill-thought or un-thought-out decision to flush the fetuses, it was out of urgent concern for the mother and nothing else. For that he has lost his job.
Odenville firefighters pleaded with the mayor and City Council to keep Davis, saying “he has given to this town more than can ever be repaid.” Davis said he was touched by the outpouring of support and spoke of the bond that has developed among members of the Fire Department. He said he considered his fellow firefighters family. Yet, he did not contest Mayor Buck Christian’s decision to let him go.
As Odenville begins its search for a new fire chief, we hope the injuries from this tragedy can begin to heal — for the town, for Davis, and especially for the family who lost their twins.
