(New London-WTNH, May 8, 2003 5:02 PM) -- A series of break-ins at Connecticut firehouses is causing alarm statewide. Firehouses in Marlborough, Hebron, Old Lyme, Haddam and Salem have all been hit. And the items the crooks are taking are anything but ordinary.
"In here we had two airpacks sitting in these brackets they took one of them but left the mask."
In total, two Scott air packs were taken from different trucks in a Salem volunteer fire house, one of five departments burglarized during a string of early morning heists in the last two months.
The other departments were in Haddam, Hebron, Marlborough and a fire house in Old Lyme. The burglar or burglars took a variety of equipment ranging from turnout gear and air packs to UHF radios.
The pattern is sporadic, but the result may be definitely dangerous for those who need the equipment to safely fight fires.
"If I didn't come in first thing in the morning and we had a call the guy in the jumpseat would have been 'where's the air pack' and we're going to the fire, ya know," says Lt. Dave Musto, "and that's one less air pack at the scene for all the volunteers we have in the department."
"That could have been dangerous."
"Yes."
Why this equipment was stolen is as much a mystery as who stole it. Apparently there is a market for these air packs -- you can see them for sale on Internet auction sites -- but they are traceable through their serial numbers and police hope anyone who comes across the stolen equipment will contact the police.
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