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Stolen fire apparatus
Taken from a local Newspaper a few weeks ago. I finally got more information today hense the post.
"Someone stole a fire truck from Jewett City and abandoned it 10 miles away, according to police. State police received a call early Wednesday from the Jewett City Volunteer Fire Department that one of its engine/tanker trucks was missing from the fire station.
Someone reported seeing the truck on Route 395 in Griswold. The witness said the truck was being driven by an unknown person.
Troopers began searching for the truck, which was found undamaged behind a business in Canterbury, about 10 miles away from Jewett City. Police said the investigation into the theft is continuing. Anyone with information regarding the investigation is urged to contact Troop E by dialing xxx-xxx-xxxx."
from another local news organization
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"The man suspected in the July 24 theft of a Jewett City fire engine turned himself in Friday to state police.
State police at Troop E in Montville said Matthew Stevens, 18, of 41 S. Main St. in Jewett City, was charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree burglary. His bail was set at $25,000 and he is scheduled to appear Monday in Norwich Superior Court.
Stevens, a former cadet at the Jewett City Volunteer Fire Department, is accused of taking the truck on a late-night joy ride, though he did not have a license or even the training to operate the $700,000 truck."
If this guy can steal a piece of apparatus so readily, how are we safe? Issues of thefts of emergency vehicles across the globe have lead to terrorism (car bombs) and we all have read the countless warnings of Dirty Bombs. It's time we all take our own station security much more seriously to avert things such as this happening again.
"Someone stole a fire truck from Jewett City and abandoned it 10 miles away, according to police. State police received a call early Wednesday from the Jewett City Volunteer Fire Department that one of its engine/tanker trucks was missing from the fire station.
Someone reported seeing the truck on Route 395 in Griswold. The witness said the truck was being driven by an unknown person.
Troopers began searching for the truck, which was found undamaged behind a business in Canterbury, about 10 miles away from Jewett City. Police said the investigation into the theft is continuing. Anyone with information regarding the investigation is urged to contact Troop E by dialing xxx-xxx-xxxx."
from another local news organization
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"The man suspected in the July 24 theft of a Jewett City fire engine turned himself in Friday to state police.
State police at Troop E in Montville said Matthew Stevens, 18, of 41 S. Main St. in Jewett City, was charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree burglary. His bail was set at $25,000 and he is scheduled to appear Monday in Norwich Superior Court.
Stevens, a former cadet at the Jewett City Volunteer Fire Department, is accused of taking the truck on a late-night joy ride, though he did not have a license or even the training to operate the $700,000 truck."
If this guy can steal a piece of apparatus so readily, how are we safe? Issues of thefts of emergency vehicles across the globe have lead to terrorism (car bombs) and we all have read the countless warnings of Dirty Bombs. It's time we all take our own station security much more seriously to avert things such as this happening again.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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How are we safe from dirty bombs? We aren't totally safe, but we're pretty safe from fire apparatus and ambulances being used as vehicle bombs in the United States. Total number of U.S. fire apparatus and ambulances used as vehicle bombs, including the one in the above story...ZERO.
Total number of former fire cadets that have conducted terrorist attacks in the United States...ZERO.
Securing your apparatus from vehicle theft is an occasional issue.
That doesn't make it a car bomb or terrorism issue.
The two are very, very different.
There's an old parable about the cowboy who, first thing every morning, went to the corral to rope a ride for the day.
Every day, he went to the corral expecting to rope a zebra to ride.
Every day, he roped and rode a horse.
We have so many horses in our corral that we need to concentrate on roping and riding them.
If we spend a lot of time and effort on roping and riding zebras, we're not going to be very ready for our daily ride on the horse.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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We change the door code to our firehouse every year and I think it should be like every six months because of the fact that there are members that give out the code. They aren't suppose to but it happens. We maybe changing how we get into the firehouse, again for safety. The higher ups have been discussing different options. We shall see what they do. It is very disheartening when you see where a current member or a past member goes into their station and do something stupid like taking a fire truck for a joy ride or stealing equipment and then selling it on Ebay. I just wonder what made them do it and why they felt it was ok to do this. Stupid, just Stupid in my mind and disrespectful to their department....
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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The reference to dirty bombs and emergency vehicles was made by EMA. (perhaps just our local EMA)
We were issued multiple statements saying there was a "credible threat" pertaining to the thefts of apparatus and other emergency services vehicles. Overseas fire and EMS apparatus are popular targets.
I DO understand that nothing has happened here in the US. I do however refuse to take a reactive approach to the world and always look at attacks and other misgivings in hindsight.
Fire apparatus theft isn't a daily occurance, but it does happen enough for us to warrant a heads up to ensure all apparatus is a safe inside the firehouse as it can be.
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These notices have been going out since 1993 or so with no real threat.
This is starting to sound a little like the boy who cried wolf.
There's a difference between reactive and proactive.
There's also a difference between proactive and over-reactive.
In the 1960's and 1970's, Civil Defense got the bulk of emergency service funding, because the Russians were going to nuke us. This went on for decades while we couldn't put firefighters in good turnout gear, proper SCBA, or reasonably new fire apparatus. Civil Defense's new name is...EMA.
Nothing wrong with staying informed and taking reasonable security precautions.
Worrying about your engine company being turned into a truck bomb when a Ryder truck is a lot easier to obtain, will hold three or four times as much explosive, and is a lot easier to make look like it belongs...this is starting to look like protecting yourself from a nerve agent attack by completely cocooning your house in plastic sheeting and duct tape.
Security precautions are not out of place, but putting the fear of truck bombs/dirty bombs as the reasoning is misplaced worry - the history makes the threat a lot less credible than you might think.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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#1. It will happen again.
#2. Locks only keep honest people honest.
#3. Any security system can be defeated.
#4. If someone wants something bad enough, they will get it.
Yes we should be vigilant in securing our stations and apparatus, but all the locks and cameras in the world will only slow down the determined. I am not suggesting that we should be Ostriches with our head stuck in the sand, but we don't need to be running around all Chicken Little.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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One funny thing is that 8 out 10 always end up abandonded in a ditch somewhere. A ditch..whats up with that.
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I would think it was because most times the person who steals the truck really doesn't have the knowledge of how to drive it. All it takes is one "scary moment" for most thieves to abandon the plan for the joyride.
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