DESOTO CO., Miss. — The search continues for a fire truck reported stolen from a DeSoto County Volunteer Fire Department last week.
Fire Chief William Gore says someone stole this white Ford brush truck and stripped the fire truck next to it after breaking into the Alphaba-Cockrum-Ingram Mills Volunteer Fire Station on Red Banks Road.
“The guys work hard to get everything they’ve got and for somebody to come in . . . it’s just heartbreaking to everybody,” Gore said.
Gore says he found out about the break-in Monday from volunteers.
“The guys had called me, didn’t know where the truck was at,” Gore said. “It started bothering them so that’s when we realized everything was gone.”
It’s a loss this department cannot afford with 38 square miles to cover in the southeast part of DeSoto County and only one other station in its coverage area.
“Well, we probably looking about $51-$60,000,” Gore said. “That’s what we lost, that’s what we lost. That’s not what it’s going to cost to replace it all.”
We’re told no “life-saving” equipment was taken, but a variety of power tools and other items were marked with the initials “A C I”.
The crime is also a blow to the morale of volunteers, who get very little government money to run their department.
“They get a little tax millage, they get insurance rebate funds, the Board of Supervisors supports them with stuff, but still a lot of their funding they use comes from fundraisers, it comes from fire dues,” said Desoto County Emergency Services Director Chris Olson.
If you have information about where the truck might be, you’re urged to contact the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department at 662-469-8027.