KINGDOM CITY, Mo. - The two former firefighters who commandeered a North Callaway Fire Protection District fire truck in November have promised not to do so again, NCFPD Board President Donnie Duffy said during Tuesday's meeting.
"I got a commitment from them that they'd never do it again," Duffy said. "It got out of hand."
However, some members of the public still want the NCFPD to put a policy in place addressing the situation and similar ones that could arise.
According to the December board meeting minutes and an NCFPD incident report, on Nov. 25, former volunteer Damon Dowden and former Lt. John McCormack asked Assistant Fire Chief Harley Hyde for permission to take a fire tanker to the site of a shed fire.
The minutes state Harley (who was in Columbia at the time) granted permission and Dowden and McCormack entered the North Callaway station and took the truck to the scene of the fire in the 2400 block of County Road 269 in Columbia, near Stephens. At the scene, three sheds, including one used to hold trash, were ablaze.
A Millersburg volunteer also arrived on scene. Three additional apparatuses on their way from North Callaway were sent back by McCormack, even though the fire was still burning and aerosol cans were exploding, according to the minutes. Eventually, the fire - caused by the property's owner burning trash near the shed - was extinguished.
The December minutes state Fire Chief Lana Karhoff expressed the former volunteers should not have taken the truck and requested a policy be issued to prevent similar situations. Treasurer Don Lehenbauer expressed reluctance, and "heated discussion" followed. Ultimately, the issue was tabled until the January meeting.
During the January meeting Tuesday, Karhoff said she'd heard concerns from other area fire departments.
"They've considered pulling our mutual aid agreements if that's our stance, to (allow non-firefighters to respond to fires)," she said.
Following Duffy's reassurance, Karhoff said her worries had been addressed.
James Smiley, a Kingdom City resident, addressed the board on the issue.
"I have a huge problem with people taking a fire truck - that's my tax dollars," he said.
He asked whether the former volunteers were covered under the district's insurance.
Duffy said he spoke with the insurance company and the individuals were covered, due to part of the policy addressing commandeering.
Duffy said the department's policies were "being reviewed," but did not say the board would add a policy specific to the situation.