Chattanooga FD looks for neighborhood help to stop firehouse burglaries

Vandals strike when firefighters are out on a call, and citizens living around firehouses can help

Emotions run high for firefighters when they go out on a call. They’ll fight a fire for hours, and then head back to the station.

What they don’t want to return to is a vandalized personal car. That’s happened here in Chattanooga recently far more than you know.

On Monday afternoon at the corner of Chamberlain and Holly in Highland Park, a fire destroyed one house and left another standing, but needing repair.

While firefighters battled that fire for seven hours, one firefighter came back to the station only to find his car had been vandalized.

“We had a call from an off-duty firefighter that had just happened by the station, and actually saw four individuals inside one of the other firefighters’ trucks. So, he actually … with him pulling in, he actually run them off but they did get several personal items out of the truck,” said Chattanooga Fire Department Operations Chief Rick Boatwright.

He also says this isn’t an isolated incident. A firefighter had his car stolen from the Station 7 firehouse (Hickory Valley Rd. & Discovery Dr.) last year while he was on assignment. While it was recovered within two days, it was still an inconvenience. Firefighters who are tired and hungry and just want to go home after a long day’s work … to come back to a vandalized or even stolen car is more than deflating.

“They’re busting their humps trying to get these jobs done, and for somebody to go by a station, or pay attention to a station and break into personal vehicles while they’re gone, you know…That’s … It’s ridiculous.”

That’s why Chief Boatwright wants the help of the neighborhoods surrounding the firehouses. They are built to help keep the people of the community safe, and, in turn, firefighters could use a little watchful eye when they’re out on a call.

“These are the citizens’ firehouses. You know…we want to make sure they’re taken care of, so it’s a community effort.”

If you live near a firehouse and see something suspicious, call 9-1-1. You don’t have to give your name, and you could help a firefighter who’s tired after a long day’s work.