Posted on 10/03/2020 11:33:12 AM PDT by L.A.Justice
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A woman was arrested Thursday night for allegedly stealing a Riverside Fire Department truck and taking it on a joyride while first responders were handling a life-threatening medical emergency.
“Two police officers responded first, they began CPR,” Riverside police Sgt. Juan Munoz said. “They saved the man’s life.”
Munoz said that while firefighters were getting the victim, who had stopped breathing, into an ambulance, the suspect hopped inside their engine at Hole Avenue and drove it three miles away to the eastbound Adams Street off-ramp on the 91 Freeway — colliding with at least two cars along the way.
When the engine came to a stop at the off-ramp, officers said the woman attempted to get into at least two other cars.
“She said it was fun,” Munoz said. “She appears to be extremely intoxicated.”
But it was anything but fun for the on-duty Station 8 firefighters when they realized their rig was missing.
“We just walked out to the engine,” one of the firefighters said while reporting the incident. “And our engine is missing.”
The engine weighs tens of thousands of pounds and, Munoz said, was also full of water.
“Given the potential with the weight of that vehicle and how she even knew how to start it, I’m astonished that nobody else was injured,” Munoz said.
Police said the woman had a felony warrant for narcotics. She is expected to face charges of driving under the influence, vehicle theft and hit-and-run.
Rockford and some clients rode around on one as well.
A class, a 40-hour driver-training course for local firefighters, is required by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), as part of qualifying for a Firefighter Endorsement with a Class C Driver’s license. This allows the firefighter to drive heavy fire apparatus in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Driver Operator 1A is part of the California State Fire Training curriculum, based on National Fire Protection Association standards. The lead Instructor, Gary Castagnetti, is the former Chief of Plumas Eureka FD, now working in Sacramento as one of a small group of full-time trainers for CalTrans. Castagnetti has 44 years of experience in the fire service, and is qualified to drive just about anything, including bulldozers and tractor-trailers. He wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t sure it was needed. “Each year approximately 20-25% of firefighter deaths in the line of duty occur while driving to or returning from alarms,” said Castagnetti.
This drunk, felon could have easily killed a couple of dozen people. I hope they bury her in a cell that never again sees the light of day.
rwood
“She looks like a fun’’. I was going to say. Baby looks like a ton of fun.
Uh, no. She was arrested for taking a firetruck on a a joyride.
I suppose copy editors are too expensive these days.
She could have pulled a train and probably had just as much fun without getting arrested.
I’ve never understood why they have to take a big fire truck to a medical call.
Some jurisdictions have put the city paramedics in cars. In my small town we have a fire truck and a medic vehicle. They respond to all calls for assistance. They never know when they are going to need extra help or get a another call to respond to.
What’s her Freeper handle?
in our area all emt calls have a fire truck backup.
For extra hands, two emts cannot haul a 400 lb person
and to take the truck out for exercise.
and because it is fun.
In Wisconsin drivers have to take and pass the CDL test but are not issued CDL license
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