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RIVERDALE, Md.-- Town council members learned Monday night that an incident involving a teen who was set on fire inside the firehouse was a silly stupid mistake, according to the fire chief.
"It basically comes down to these folks were playing around and they did some immature things and it came back to somebody got hurt out of it," said Riverdale's Fire Chief Vince Harrison.
Prince George's County fire officials are still conducting a criminal investigation into the incident, which occurred on September 15. It was reported several days later when the teen notified Bladensburg's firefighters, who notified officials.
9 News Now spoke with the teen and his grandmother over the phone. The family lives in Pennsylvania, where the teen has moved back home. He suffers second degree burns on his back and tomorrow, will return to a burn unit for a follow up appointment.
"This was a situation that management didn't know about it for four days," said Harrison. "Then when it did we took immediate action on it."
Harrison suspended two firefighters involved for 30 days, the maximum suspension penalty. The two volunteers also volunteered their membership with the organization. However, Harrison told council members the organization had not decided yet whether to accept their offer.
A third firefighter was suspended for a shorter period of time for witnessing the act but not reporting it.
"So there's a procedure we have in place to notify people when things like that happen and I think they all got afraid," said Harrison, who had been sleeping inside the firehouse when the incident occurred. He woke up and left the station without ever knowing of the incident.
The chief, who began his own fire career at 16-years-old defended the common practice of using minors to fight fires. State and county laws allow 16-18 year olds to work as junior firefighters if they've passed the necessary training.
"In fact, we have a 17-year-old that was recognized by [the media] just 6 months ago for rescuing a baby," said Harrison.
This particular teen came to Riverdale after Bladensburg's department reportedly told him they had no room for him to sleep there. He contacted Harrison, who recruits via the internet. When his grandmother gave him permission to volunteer, he took a train to Maryland.
"I had no clue that he was being brought down and dropped off in Baltimore," said Harrison. "I had no clue that the individual was being picked up and brought back to our place with the clothes on his back. I felt sorry at that point but he was already here."
Since the incident, Riverdale has changed its policy regarding minors. No teens will be allowed inside the firehouse after 10 p.m. It also has suspended its ride along programs, for which this teen came to Riverdale.
When asked about the policies regarding teenage firefighters and hazing, Prince George's County Fire Spokesman Mark Brady declined to comment.
Republished with permission of WUSA-TV.
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