EVERETT, JULY 24: Yesterday, Everett Fire Chief released a statement regarding a fire engine that was stolen and caused significant damage to multiple vehicles.
The statement released by Chief Dave DeMarco was “intended to help the community understand” the crime and Everett Fire Department practices.
“Our city experienced a very serious event in which an unauthorized individual entered an idling fire engine, managed to put it in gear and then drove it away…,” DeMarco wrote. “The information below is intended to help the community understand this crime, our practices, and what can be done to prevent this from happening again in the future.”
What happened?
Roughly 10 p.m. on Friday, July 18, Everett Fire Engine #1 and Paramedic Unit #1 were dispatched to a medical emergency on Hoyt Ave. Paramedics arrived and began treatment on the affected patient, spending nearly an hour with them, DeMarco wrote.
Once finished, the crew returned to the street to find the engine missing. At this time, Snohomish County 911 began to receive calls involving a fire engine in a crash. Paramedic Unit #1 quickly realized that their engine had been stolen.
The suspect drove the engine at high speeds from Hoyt Ave, Alverson Blvd and Marine View Dr., damaging 11 vehicles along the way. The engine was left on Marine View Dr. where the suspect fled the scene.
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How did this happen?
Emergency vehicles are left idling for a variety of reasons, DeMarco wrote. But the suspect had to overcome several steps to get the engine moving.
The fire engines are equipped with a keyless ignition system, which requires a specific sequence of switches and buttons to operate the vehicle.
The fire engine was placed in neutral, and the parking brakes were applied. The emergency lights were left on, and the rear drive wheels were “chocked” (blocked with an immobilization device designed to prevent rolling).
Although the immobilization device is able to withstand 70,000 pounds, it is not equipped to withstand an intentional overrun.
Why did this happen?
Fire engines and ambulances are often left idling to power essential equipment and communication devices to react immediately to incidents.
“This is common practice across the fire service and is allowed by existing Everett Fire Department policies,” DeMarco wrote.
The practice is common within Washington State and across the country. In Seattle, the department will send an additional firefighter to remain behind with the engine during a call.
No department in Snohomish County staffs this way, DeMarco wrote, and all firefighters assigned to the medical emergency on Friday were needed to attend to the patient.
What is being done?
Everett Fire has implemented temporary steps to protect fleets from criminal action, DeMarco wrote. They are also actively researching possible engineered solutions to apply to the fleet to make permanent changes to vehicle security.
DeMarco has been in contact with the vehicle owners affected by the incident, and spoke to the Everett City Council Wednesday, July 23.
Fleet capability now.
Everett Fire has replaced the damaged engine with a reserve engine. DeMarco says that although the decision reduces the available reserve fleet from five to four engines, it will not affect their ability to serve the community.
Three years ago, Mayor Cassie Franklin and the city council approved the replacement of two aging fire engines. Everett Fire is expecting those two new fire engines within the next month.
“The availability of these two new engines means we will not experience any shortfall in apparatus as we await repair decisions about the damaged engine,” DeMarco wrote.
The mayor and council have authorized the replacement of three more engines, with a delivery in 2028.
“This criminal act is a serious event we were not expecting or prepared for. The department will adapt and change as a result, but we cannot undo the damage that has been done,” DeMarco wrote.
Officials are requesting that anyone with information, video, or photographs related to this case contact the Everett Police Tip Line at (425) 257-8450.
