Store greeter FIRED for putting out fire in customer's car because bosses say his actions were 'against company policy'

David Bowers was a store greeter at a Meijer in Gaylord, Michigan

A customer came into the store last month asking for help with a fire that broke out in his car

Mr Bowers grabbed an extinguisher and left his position to help the customer put it out and soon returned to his post

The store director later fired Mr Bowers for not following the company's emergency protocols which dictated he shouldn't leave his position



The firing of Mr Bowers has led Meijer regulars to protest the store



A Meijer store employee in Gaylord, Michigan was recently fired for helping put out a fire in the store's parking lot.



David Bowers was greeting customers at the front of the store last month when a shopper came up to him, saying his car was on fire

So Mr Bowers grabbed a fire extinguisher and left his post to put out the flames. Soon after he returned to his positions and continued his work.



Good Samaritan sacked: David Bowers was fired as a greeter from a Meijer store in Michigan when he left his post at the front of the store to help a customer put out a fire in the parking lot

Breaking the rules? Store management let Mr Bowers go for not adhering to company policy. Above, a picture of the torched car Mr Bowers helped save

But it wasn't long before he was called into the store director's office where he was told he was being put on suspension.



'The one supervisor told me that my heart was in the right place, but my brain wasn't' Mr Bowers told UpNorthLive.



Mr Bowers was officially fired later that week for 'not following company policy'.



'I thought that was what we were supposed to do. You know, you have somebody that is in need, don't you help them? But I guess not,' Mr Bowers said.



Mr Bowers admits that he was put on suspension once before - for chasing a shoplifter out of the store. Since he was let go, Mr Bowers has been unable to find another job.



Unemployed: Mr Bowers hasn't been able to find another job since getting fired from Meijer

Responding to criticism that Mr Bowers shouldn't have been fired, the company issued a statement to MLive.com, saying it '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.'



One customer especially peeved about Mr Bower's termination is the shopper he helped that day, Ken Kuzon.



He says his car would have completely burned out if Mr Bowers didn't come to his aid.



'I just think it's ridiculous. Why should you be penalized for being a Good Samaritan?' Kuzon asked.



And now the situation is turning into a PR nightmare for the company, as patrons have been posting on the store's Facebook page in protest and calling for Mr Bowers to get his job back.



Thankful: Customer Ken Kuzon says his car would have been lost if Mr Bowers hadn't helped him put out the fire

'Last night I pulled into your Gaylord Meijer's parking lot to do my weekly shopping. I thought about how David Bowers was always there to greet me and my 4-year-old and cheer her on while she played the claw game at your entrance,' wrote Pamela LaGuttata. 'Although I shop there almost exclusively, I reconsidered my decision to support your store and drove to Wal-Mart. I hope that you will reconsider your decision in the firing of a Good Samaritan.'



Patron Randy Klepper said he read about the story in the local paper and questions how the store's founder, the late Frederik Meijer, would have dealt with the same situation.

