By FireRescue1 Staff
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — A firefighter’s truck and thousands of dollars’ worth of specialty gear was stolen Sunday.
The Ford F-150 truck was reportedly stolen from a Rio Rancho firefighter’s home; this is the fourth stolen vehicle belonging to a firefighter this year.
Rio Rancho Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Richard Doty told KOB the firefighter is part of the technical rescue crew and kept the gear in his vehicle. Members of the rescue team keep the gear in their vehicles so they can readily access it when needed. Fire department merchandise, like sweatshirts and T-shirts, were also inside the stolen vehicle.
“Our concern with the gear would be that they could potentially sell it, but that’s replaceable,” Chief Doty said. “But somebody identifying themselves as a firefighter could be potentially dangerous.”
Chief Doty said firefighters normally don’t travel alone, must always carry a department-issued identification card and are not permitted to wear department attire off-duty.
The stolen truck has a Rio Rancho firefighter sticker on the back window and has a union number on the front of the truck.