EDMONDS—Edmonds Police are investigating the theft of a South County Fire Ford F-150 vehicle, stolen from the scene of a residential fire investigation Friday, July 25. The vehicle was recovered a short time later in Shoreline, with what appears to be minor damage.
Around 11:45 a.m., four firefighters were investigating a residential fire that occurred earlier Friday morning in the 24000 block of 76th Ave W. Various contractors were also at the location to assist with boarding up the property and towing a damaged vehicle from the scene. To allow the tow truck access to the damaged vehicle, a firefighter moved the F-150 and parked it along 76th Ave W, partially blocking one lane of traffic. The truck’s emergency lights were activated to alert drivers. As is standard practice for public safety, the vehicle was left running to keep the emergency lights active.
Within approximately three minutes of parking the vehicle on the street, with a contractor just a few feet from the vehicle and firefighters less than 25 feet away, an unknown man accessed the vehicle and drove away. A contractor at the scene witnessed the vehicle strike a different South County Fire F-150 as it fled.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded and police recovered the vehicle just after 12 p.m. Friday in the 18500 block of Firlands Way N in Shoreline. The vehicle appears to have sustained only minor cosmetic damage and all fire department equipment appears to have been untouched, with the vehicle’s fuel card the only item missing. No injuries have been reported in relation to this incident. The suspect has not been located. Anyone with information should contact Edmonds Police.
“Like fire departments across Snohomish County and our region, we are very disturbed by recent events targeting emergency services vehicles that belong to and are funded by our community,” said South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman. “South County Fire has been exploring solutions to make our fleet more secure, including potential changes to vehicle engineering, policies and training. We are thankful that no one was hurt and the damage was minimal in this case. We will take appropriate actions to protect these vital services for our community.”
Residents will see no impact to emergency services due to this incident. The stolen vehicle will be removed from service until it can be inspected. A reserve vehicle will be immediately available if needed.
Source: South County Fire
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
