Jaws of Life, other rescue equipment stolen from Sangudo fire hall: RCMP

A fire hall in the hamlet of Sangudo — responsible for helping a large swath of rural Alberta north of Edmonton — has been jolted after thieves broke in, stealing vital life-saving equipment, including the Jaws of Life.

RCMP in Mayerthorpe were called Feb. 17 to the break-in at the Lac Ste. Anne County fire hall in Sangudo, a hamlet of about 300 people roughly 118 km northwest of Edmonton. Investigators determined the robbery occurred between 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 17, RCMP said in a news release.

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The Jaws of Life are used by first responders to extract victims from crumpled vehicle collisions, among other things. The hydraulic machinery can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Also stolen were hydraulic pump hoses, forestry power saws, ventilation power saws, a generator, various tools that are meant for forcible entry into vehicles and houses, a trauma kit, chainsaws, laptops and a drone.

Responding to a call

Town of Mayerthorpe and Lac Ste. Anne County Fire Chief Randy Schroeder said the robbery was discovered when members of the volunteer fire department began to respond to a motor vehicle collision in the early hours of Feb. 17.

“It’s not something that you want to see happen on a regular day, but for a smaller community like this, it’s devastating,” said Peace Regional RCMP Const. Julie-Ann Strilaiff.

“These are vital tools, and obviously we need these items for life-saving measures, and to get into vehicles when there is a massive collision, and they might need extraction tools to get somebody out and save their life.”

Strilaiff said the equipment stolen from the fire hall was worth upwards of $50,000. She said other fire stations in the area have stepped up to help replace some of the smaller items they had on hand or an older version of the equipment.

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“It’s devastating, not only from the replacement value, but if we have a major incident that happens on the highway, it makes it difficult for our first responders to even respond to something that is life-threatening,” said Nick Gelych, deputy reeve of Lac Ste. Anne County.

“The bigger thing is why it was stolen. This stuff is stolen for the purpose of getting easier access into other buildings and vehicles and even ATMs and banks.”

RCMP said they currently have no suspects, and they’re encouraging anyone in the area to check video footage they may have recorded during the hours of 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 17.

‘Help get this solved’

“We’re hoping some surrounding homes and businesses in the area could maybe supply some footage that could maybe give a clue to see what vehicle it was, or if there were multiple people involved,” said Strilaiff.

“Hopefully someone can provide a clue on their footage that will help get this solved.”

Gelych said that rural crime in Lac Ste. Anne County usually consists of fuel being stolen. In his opinion, crime in the area has come down — but it’s concerning to see a robbery like this take place.

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“Breaking into a fire hall and taking tools that are used for life-saving, there is only one reason for that, it’s not to help. It’s frustrating and absurd,” said Gelych.

But he’s hopeful the community will come together and help investigators solve the case.

“We live in rural Alberta, and a lot of people look out for their neighbours and it’s appreciated to know when we leave home, there are people that watch out for you,” said Gelych.

“If there are people that have seen or noticed anything, it would be prudent for them to at least call 911 and tell them what you saw.”

jhills@postmedia.com

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