In an unexpected turn of events for the Everett community, an unauthorized person commandeered a fire engine last Friday night, leading to significant damage before police could apprehend the culprit. Everett Fire Chief, Dave DeMarco released a detailed statement on Wednesday, reporting that the stolen fire engine had been left idling on a call to a medical emergency, according to the City of Everett.
Chief DeMarco's statement, as published by the City of Everett, explained that la Friday night at around 10 p.m., the emergency responders had left their vehicle to attend to a patient on the 5th floor of a building and upon returning found their engine missing, with the wheel chock demolished. The fire engine, which was parked on Hoyt Avenue’s northbound lane, was put in gear and driven away by an unidentified individual, despite several security mechanisms designed to prevent such an incident.
"Our fire engines are equipped with a keyless ignition system, which requires a specific sequence of switches and buttons to start and then place in gear—making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to operate," said DeMarco in his statement. These measures, however, were not enough to stop the thief who had to overcome several security features to drive off with the fire engine, as reported by the City of Everett.
Though the community is still shaken, DeMarco assured residents that the Everett Fire Department is working to prevent this from happening again. Temporary security measures are in place, and more permanent solutions are being carefully considered to avoid causing delays during emergencies. Two new fire engines will arrive in the next few weeks, and more have already been ordered to keep the department ready to serve despite the recent setback, as per the City of Everett.
The Everett Fire Department, operational since 1892, handles over 27,000 emergency service requests annually and the chief remarked on the gravity of this incident, which was unlike anything they had anticipated. "This criminal act is a serious event we were not expecting or prepared for," DeMarco told the public, while also expressing his apologies and gratitude for the community's support, as noted by the City of Everett.
