DETROIT – A Detroit firefighter who fell through the floor of a home while battling a blaze early Tuesday morning says he refused to be taken to the hospital because he's afraid the city won't pay the bill.
The firefighter, Scott Kasinec, spoke to Local 4 from the scene on Maiden Street. He said he fell through the first floor of the home and into the basement.
"My helmet came off. If I didn't have all of this safety equipment on, I probably would have been hurt really bad. But I'm good. The guys did a good job and rescued me," Kasinec said.
When asked why he wasn't being transported to the hospital, Kasinec said, "There's reasons why I'm not going to the doctor. The city's not paying the bills."
The firefighter said he has previously hurt his knee on the job. "I was sent by the city to therapy and $800 in bills. They won't pay them."
Kasinec said the city is supposed to pay because it was a "duty-related accident."
"I've been calling my union and they say they fall on deaf ears," he said. "I'm not going to accumulate another bill. I am going to go feed my wife and kids. I've been taking pay cuts and I can't afford it."
He's been a firefighter for 20 years.