Make this page my home page

  1. Drag the home icon in this panel and drop it onto the "house icon" in the tool bar for the browser

  2. Select "Yes" from the popup window and you're done!

Fire Truck Refurb Sale – Special Discount Code: FR630
FireRescue1 - News, products and training resources
September 02, 2010

Print Comment RSS

Child's prank misleads Va. firefighters

A boy told emergency dispatchers that his Richmond apartment was on fire and that he could see red flames

By Joe Macenka
The Richmond Times Dispatch

RICHMOND, Va. — What turned out to be a prank call by a child prompted an entourage of Richmond firefighters to respond to what was believed to be an apartment fire yesterday.

Fire Marshal David Creasy said the department's investigators were looking into the circumstances surrounding the call, which was placed about 9:30 a.m. by a boy who told emergency dispatchers that his South Richmond apartment was on fire and that he could see red flames.

As is standard procedure when a caller says fire is visible and there are occupants inside a residence, dispatchers immediately sent a so-called full assignment - in this case, five manned units.

But the child called back and said he had been joking.

"This could have had very serious consequences," Creasy said, noting that prank calls can take away firefighting resources that could be needed elsewhere in the city.

In this case, however, he said there were no other calls in the city that required the firefighters who were dispatched to the 300 block of Grey Birch Drive, where the boy said his apartment was burning.

Investigators were working yesterday to determine such factors as the child's age, whether he was home at the time the call was placed and whether he was alone.

Creasy said prank calls made by children are rare, and while they could result in criminal charges, he said a more likely outcome would be that fire investigators discuss the matter with the family and leave the discipline to the boy's parents.

"Hopefully," he said, "that will take care of it."

Copyright 2010 Richmond Newspapers, Inc.

LexisNexis Copyright © 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.   
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

All Rights Reserved






Expert Columns

Viewpoint Rick Markley, Editor - Viewpoint
More Expert Articles
Visit the Careers Section


Get the #1 Fire eNewsletter

Fire Newsletter Sign up for our FREE email roundup of the top news, tips, columns, videos and more, sent 3 times weekly
Enter Email
See Sample

Connect with FireRescue1

Mobile Apps Facebook Twitter Google+

Line of Duty Deaths

More Line of Duty Deaths
 
About FireRescue1 Advertise Contact Us Member Support My Profile Privacy Policy Sitemap
FireRescue1 News & Video Popular Products Popular Topics Resources In Our Network
FireRescue1 is revolutionizing the way the fire service community finds relevant news, identifies important training information, interacts online and researches product purchases and suppliers. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for firefighters and fire departments worldwide.
 Columnists
Fire News
Fire News Feed
Fire Photos
Fire Videos
Firefighter Tips FlashoverTV
Line-of-Duty Deaths
 Apparatus
Fire Gloves
Fire Radios
Fire Tools
PPE
Prevention Products
Rescue Equipment
All Fire Products 		Department Management
Fire Attack
Fire-EMS
Fire Prevention
Firefighter Safety
Volunteer
Wildland
All Fire Topics
 Copyright Info
Fire Games
Firefighter Blog
Firefighter Jobs
Firefighter Training
FR1 Sponsors
Newsletters
NFPA Standards
 Bioterrorism
Fire Grants
Paramedic Jobs
Paramedic Videos
Tactical EMS
Volunteering
Follow Us
Facebook Twitter Google RSS LinkedIn
Visit other FireRescue1 Network Sites: Copyright © 2012 Firerescue1.com. All Rights Reserved. TRUSTe Verified Site