Volunteer firefighter and Captain of Stafford County James Kelley was faced with the situation where the life of another was in his hands, literally.
Kelley held onto the unresponsive body of 18-month-old girl, Lena Nunamaker, whose father called 911 a few moments before to report she had been having a seizure.

Being the first one to arrive at the scene, he had a decision to make. Wait for the officials or transport the toddler himself to the hospital in the fire truck?
Although Kelley knew that transporting someone who was in need of medical attention in the firetruck was prohibited, he decided to transport the toddler anyways and felt that this was the smartest decision regarding the situation.
As a result, Kelley and another firefighter, Sgt. Virgil Bloom, were put on probation.

Most people would agree that Kelley’s decision to transport the child was rational considering it was a life-threatening situation. A social media outpour followed the probation, and Kelley was quickly reinstated.
The most grateful for his quick thinking and deciding to go through with his decision were the parents of the toddler, Brian and Stacy Nunamaker. He also received praise from his colleagues who agree with his decision.

It seems as if everyone was satisfied with the decision made by Kelley, except for the Stafford County officials.
While the decision ended up saving the toddler’s life, the officials see the decision as a potential regulatory compliance issue.
In the end, it is a good thing that the firefighters were reinstated quickly, but their suspension raises some questions of when rules can be broken.