By Richard Weir
The Boston Herald
HAMPDEN COUNTY, Mass. — Five firefighters for two tiny Hampden County towns are in hot water after being arraigned yesterday on charges that they torched several abandoned homes to help pad their wallets with extra duty pay, authorities said yesterday.
“It’s very disheartening,’' said Brimfield Board of Selectmen chairman Thomas Marino. “You put your trust in them to be firefighters, the people who come to put your fires out, not be causing them. It’s the worst kind of violation of your trust.’'
The firefighters were all released on $250 bail after their arraignment yesterday on arson charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. None could be reached for comment.
They were identified by prosecutors as: Patrick Elliott, 19, of Charlton; Brian Findlay, 18, of Ashford, Conn.; Jordan Frank, 18, of West Brookfield; Dylan Lajeunesse, 18, of Holland; and Donald Moores, 20, of Brimfield.
Prosecutors said Elliott, a construction worker, and Frank, who is unemployed, are paid firefighters for Brimfield. Lajeunesse, a high school student, works for the fire department in neighboring Holland. Findlay, who listed his occupation as first responder, and Moores, a construction worker, do double duty for both departments.
As “short-call’’ firefighters, they were on call 24/7 but paid by the job, at an hourly rate of $10 to $12.
“They said (they did it out of) boredom and to get money to respond to the calls,’' prosecutor James Forsyth said the men confessed to investigators.
Forsyth said the first two fires took place in Brimfield on June 15 at 12:30 a.m. and June 22 at 12:21 a.m., followed by another on July 13 at 4:01 a.m. in Holland. All three were on a Tuesday night and involved torching vacant homes, some of them already burned.
The prosecutor said Elliott, accompanied by Findlay, used a diesel and oil mixture to ignite all three blazes.
“The others found out about it and went along with it,’' Forsyth said.
A phone tip to state fire marshals broke the case.
“I really hoped it wasn’t going be our firefighters that they found doing this,’' said Assistant Brimfield Fire Chief John Sherris. “They were very good firefighters . . . well-trained and very active. They would be there for all calls and were helpful around the station.’'
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