Several fire stations have been targets of burglars recently. The most recent burglary was at the fire brigade in Zundert. Previously, burglaries took place in Bladel and Heeze and an attempt was also made in Hilvarenbeek.
The Zundert fire brigade reports on Instagram that a burglary took place during the night from Sunday to Monday. Important rescue equipment was stolen.
“Last night we unfortunately fell victim to an extremely cowardly act. Our hydraulic rescue equipment was stolen!” writes the fire brigade on Instagram. “We normally use this to remove people from dire positions who, whether seriously injured or not, are stuck in their vehicle.”
Bladel and Heeze
Five days earlier, the fire station in Bladel was broken into. That happened around four o’clock at night. The window of the roller door at the front of the barracks was smashed with a stone. Rescue tools and batteries from our fire truck were taken,” the Bladel fire brigade wrote on Instagram.
On December 6, it happened in Heeze. There was a break-in at the fire station on Oude Stationsstraat. According to the police, the burglary probably happened between 1:45 and 2:30 at night. Part of the window of the barracks door was smashed and shards lay on the sidewalk in front of the building.
Thefts throughout the Netherlands
Holmatro from Raamsdonksveer, the largest supplier of rescue equipment for the fire brigade in the Netherlands, recognizes the image. The company supplies to 23 of the 25 security regions and sees that burglaries are taking place at fire stations throughout the Netherlands.
The Central and West Brabant Safety Region reacted with shock to the burglary. “Of course it affects us and we are concerned. It is unacceptable that material that we need to help people and animals in need is stolen. We immediately filed a report and the police have started an investigation,” the region said. Additional steps are being taken together with the police to prevent new burglaries.
The Southeast Brabant Safety Region, where the burglaries in Heeze and Bladel took place, is also concerned. According to the region, a burglary has direct consequences for the work of the fire brigade, because a station is temporarily less deployable. To prevent recurrence, internal measures have been tightened, such as a faster and better response when an alarm goes off.
