A McDonald’s branch is under fire for refusing free drinks for exhausted firefighters who had been busy battling a huge blaze at home store B&M at Clifton Moore Centre in York.
The fire was extensive enough that it required the firefighters to work in shifts.
During one such break, a group of firefighters trudged one mile towards the McDonald’s located on the other side of the retail park. Since none of the firefighters had managed to bring any money with them whilst they put on their fire-fighting gear, they requested for free teas and coffees which the store staff promptly refused.
Upon hearing this, a kind customer stepped in to buy the drinks for the firefighters in the store.
Soon after, a Facebook post described the incident and immediately criticized the McDonald’s staff. It has been shared more than 6,000 times.
However, people are divided over what happened. There are those who feel that the firefighters should have brought money with them or availed of free tap water instead. But others say that McDonald’s could have shown some support by handing out free drinks to the people who were risking their lives putting out a large blaze.
In any case, McDonald’s later came out with an apology: “We value the fantastic work of our emergency services and thank the individuals that dedicate their lives to protecting our local community.
“On this occasion, we would like to apologize to the firefighters who bravely tackled last night’s fire. They should have been provided with free refreshments on the night as a small recognition for their efforts.
“McDonald’s will, of course, be happy to reimburse the member of public involved and we will be in touch directly with our local fire & rescue service.”
The fire broke out at 4:30 pm on Saturday and was only put under control well into the night. Fortunately, people were promptly evacuated and no one was hurt.