'An attack on the safety of every person in Bedfordshire' £40k of lifesaving equipment stolen from fire stations
Lifesaving equipment has been stolen from two fire stations in just three days.
Area Commander Wayne Swales branded the thefts an attack on the safety of every person in Bedfordshire after almost £40,000 of vital equipment was taken.
He believes the equipment, which is used to rescue people trapped in vehicles after serious collisions, has been stolen for use in further crimes.
Earlier this week we reported how a group of criminals had used the jaws of life to target cash machines across the country.
The service is urging people to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity around its fire stations, after the thieves broke into Harrold Fire Station on Tuesday (March 10) and stole the specialist road traffic collision equipment from a locked fire engine.
Two days later, on Thursday (March 12), criminals emptied two fire engines of their hydraulic cutting and spreading tools.
Area Commander Wayne Swales said: “These thefts aren’t just attacks on our fire stations – they’re attacks on the safety of every person in Bedfordshire. The equipment stolen is what our crews rely on to save lives at the scene of serious road traffic collisions and other incidents. To have it taken and potentially used for criminal activity is deeply concerning.
“Since being made aware of a national trend of fire stations being broken into and equipment stolen, we have enhanced our security measures further, but we are calling on our communities to report anything immediately if you see anything suspicious around our stations.”
Despite the thefts, emergency cover remains in place. Equipment is being shared across the county to ensure crews can still respond to 999 calls.
But this puts additional pressure on already limited resources and the service will need to find funds to replace the stolen tools as soon as possible.
All fire stations are protected by CCTV and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is working closely with Bedfordshire Police to identify and arrest those responsible.
If you see a crime in progress call 999, and if you have information about the missing equipment, contact the police on 101 immediately.