Thousands of dollars in gear stolen from Long Beach Fire Dept.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Two weeks after a Long Beach firefighter was shot to death, his colleagues thought they were under fire again and fled - only to return and find their equipment stolen.

Capt. Matt Dobberpuhl says the scare came Monday night as firefighters answered a medical call.
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He says they heard a loud noise that sounded like gunfire and retreated in their fire engine until police gave the all-clear about 40 minutes later.

The firefighters returned to find someone had stolen thousands of dollars' worth of gear.

The stolen equipment included an automatic external defibrillator, a first-aid box, a flashlight and an airway bag with oxygen tank that helps patients breathe.

Luckily, Dobberpuhl says the medical problem was minor.
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He says the apparent gunfire might have been illegal fireworks.



Fire Capt. Dave Rosa was shot on June 25 during a call to a retirement community. A 77-year-old resident is charged with his murder.
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