The D.C. Fire and EMS Department is taking disciplinary action against four employees who are accused of evading dispatch calls in their ambulances for hours.

In a statement issued Friday, D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin says the cases are being sent to termination trial boards. Rubin says an investigation revealed "extreme dereliction of duty" on the part of the employees. Officials say the unnamed employees took their ambulances to parts of the city far from their services areas.

On July 11th, investigators say one ambulance spent about seven hours in upper northwest Washington while it was assigned to be in northeast Washington. On July 24th, another ambulance also was away from its service area in southeast Washington for more than two hours.

The employees are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the termination trials.

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