Free Republic

Police are investigating after a Jaws of Life tool was stolen from firefighters in Democrat-run Oakland, California, on Friday. The apparent theft happened after firefighters used it at the scene of a call in the 1600 block of West Street, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. A law enforcement spokesperson said not long after the firefighters used it they realized it had been taken. Officials did not give any information about suspects in the case. Now, both agencies are working to recover the tool that is used after serious crashes to rescue individuals trapped inside vehicles. The Times report noted...

Fri Jul 22, 8:17 PM ET ALBANY, N.Y. - Albany firefighters were tearing apart a minivan as part of a training exercise when someone noticed the personal items inside. That's when they realized they had trashed the wrong vehicle. This week, Albany officials approved the city's share of the $12,000 bill for the 2002 Dodge Caravan that was mistakenly ripped open during a drill at a junk yard a year ago. Officials say the firefighters routinely practice accident scene rescue techniques by tearing open donated junked cars. In June 2004, they were supposed to practice on an older vehicle located...

<p>FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) Firefighters practicing how to use the Jaws of Life brought an early death to an innocent Honda Accord.</p> <p>Antonio Rocha, 32, parked his 1986 black coupe behind the fire department's headquarters Friday morning, next to two cars that had been supplied for the Jaws of Life exercise. The life-saving equipment is used to extract passengers from mangled vehicles.</p>