During an operation in Munsieville on Monday, September 6 the Krugersdorp Fire Department very nearly fell victim to a not so common theft.
As reported by Sharday van den Berg from Mogale Response Services, the thug approached the fire truck and attempted to steal some equipment while Fire Department members were busy extinguishing a fire.
“One fireman, who was operating the pump, as well as an off-duty fireman were at the truck when the would-be thief tried to steal expensive life-saving equipment. Luckily, the two firemen saw him and chased him away.
“It seems to be a trend on scenes not only to steal from the fire engine but also from ambulances and other emergency vehicles.”
This time around the firefighters were lucky as in the past they had recovered a hydraulic pump worth an estimated R65 000 from a pawn shop where it was up for sale for R2 000.
“Educating the community about how the equipment is used to save lives is more important than the small amount of money that it gets sold for. Having the CPF, AfriForum and security companies on scene to assist with safeguarding the fire trucks and ambulances can help prevent such incidents. This will also help with scene safety as, unfortunately, while fires are being extinguished people steal the metal frames or any other metal object that can be sold, which is extremely dangerous,” Sharday explained.
She urged the community to report any stolen equipment to the police.
