Volunteer fire chief pleased to see charges laid after theft of life-saving equipment
Firefighters in Barneys River have been using loaned equipment since October break-in
The chief of a volunteer fire department in Barneys River, N.S., says he's glad to hear that charges have been laid in connection with the theft of life-saving equipment from his firehall earlier this fall.
"It's a relief to have that done," said Chief Joe MacDonald.
A set of Jaws of Life cutters, a Hurst electric ram and two types of power saws — equipment used to extricate victims from car crashes or to access buildings in an emergency — were among the items that disappeared in late October from the firehall in Pictou County.
All told, the culprit hauled off around $35,000 worth of gear.
On Tuesday, Nova Scotia RCMP announced they had executed a search warrant in Lyons Brook, N.S., and seized some or all of the stolen firefighting equipment, including the Jaws of Life.
A 26-year-old man from that community, which is near New Glasgow, faces a range of charges including seven counts of break and enter, eight counts of theft, fraud and unauthorized possession of a firearm, RCMP said in a news release.
'Crime spree'
Police also seized a stolen trailer as part of the investigation, as well as a loaded rifle and a shotgun with ammunition.
They said the arrest was the result of "a multi-jurisdictional crime spree" spanning Pictou and Colchester counties, and East Hants, following a string of reported break-ins and thefts.
The accused has been remanded into custody and will appear in Truro Provincial Court on Wednesday. None of the charges against him have been proved in court.
While MacDonald hasn't seen the recovered gear yet, he said it will likely need to undergo testing to make sure it still operates safely and may need to be replaced.
He said the Barneys River Volunteer Fire Department was up and running less than a week after the theft. Volunteer firefighters have been using loaned equipment to get by, adding that there was an outpouring of messages from firefighters across Nova Scotia in the aftermath.
"I wanted to make a point of thanking every fire department that reached out and offered spare gear to us. It's been overwhelming, from every end of the province," he said. "It's nice to see."
MacDonald also said he has been going through the process of making an insurance claim for the stolen equipment. A consortium of companies called the Dexter Nova Alliance, which is involved with the Highway 104 twinning project, paid their deductible, he said.