Stacey Claiborne had just stopped at a fire station when her 11-year-old son had a nosebleed. She sent in her older son to get ice to try and get the nosebleed under control, but to her surprise, the firefighter refused.
“I go to the firehouse and told my oldest son, here take this glove, go to the firehouse and ask them to give you some ice in this glove so I can get it on your brother’s nose so I can get his nosebleed under control,” she explained.
But when her son returned, he had no ice in the glove.
“My son comes back and says the firefighter told me I can’t get any ice, it’s for their personal use.”
So Claiborne decided to go into the station herself.
“I met with a different firefighter. I asked can I get some ice? My son is having a bad nosebleed. I just need the ice to get his nosebleed under control. So he said, ‘Sure ma’am, I will get it for you,'” said Claiborne. “The firefighter came around the corner that told my son that he couldn’t have any ice. He said, ‘I said don’t give her no ice. Go out to the car and find out what’s really going on.'”
Eventually, Claiborne said that she left after it was clear they weren’t going to help, even though her son’s nose had been bleeding for seven minutes.
“I notice that we are going back and forth and you are not helping me. I’m telling you what I need and you are not helping me. So when I chose to leave, the firefighter that was going to give me the ice said ma’am, I’m sorry. I really was going to give you the ice. He looked intimidated by his commander. I guess he was following a direct order,” Claiborne said.