By Robin Schwartz
MyFoxDetroit
DETROIT — Detroit EMS Medic 10 was responded to a 911 call at a nursing home. The crew watched in disbelief as their ambulance disappeared into the darkness and they were left without their lifeline and the life saving equipment inside the truck.
It happened Tuesday night on Linwood. Police say two teenagers, ages 14 and 16, are responsible.
“Most of our vehicles are equipped with anti-theft devices in which if somebody attempted to, the truck would shut down, but in a handful of vehicles, those devices aren’t functioning,” said Wisam Zeineh with the Detroit EMS Association.
Another ambulance had to respond to transport the patient and rescue the crew. However, as FOX 2 has been reporting, resources are limited. Countless rigs are broken. The units do not have GPS systems and response times are suffering, not to mention the patients left without medical help often in life or death situations.
FOX 2 has been demanding answers for months. The fire department has said they are working on it.
“It’s a very dangerous job in all facets, whether you’re with police, fire or EMS,” Zeineh said. “The crew was not in the vehicle or near the vehicle, so thankfully no one was hurt.”
We are told the ambulance has been recovered. The suspects tried to run, but they were arrested and have not yet been charged.
Republished with permission from WJBK