The Miocene Volunteer Fire Department crew was responding to a call on Thursday, March 20 when they found their fuel supply storage area had been broken into.
With three 20 litre jerrycans of premium gas stolen and damage inflicted on the fenced-in area which was pried open, Fire Chief Quintin Duhamel estimates the resulting costs to be $800.
“It seems to be an ongoing issue,” said Duhamel, who called the incident a nuisance.
This is the second time in six months the fuel supply was broken into, the previous incident also requiring repairs as the fencing had been cut.
Duhamel said the last few months have also brought vandalism directly to the fire hall, with crew members arriving to find windows busted in.
The RCMP have been notified of the incidents in the past, but there’s not much they can do without surveillance footage which the fire hall does not have, Duhamel said.
“Cool Clear Water stepped up this morning and donated $500,” he said, which will allow the fire department to invest in security upgrades or recover from the damage.
Luckily the department conducted equipment checks earlier in the week, so with a full tank they were able to respond to a medical call Thursday as normal.
The department is always looking for more members to help serve their community.
If you have any information about the incident, please contact the department at (250) 296-4502.
