A Cobb County ladder truck was struck by a bullet Tuesday afternoon while the crew was returning from a call.
Truck 19, a mid-mount platform apparatus, was on Delk Road in Marietta when stray gun fire hit the cab.
"The firefighters had their headsets on and knew something hit the rig, but it wasn't until they returned to the station that they saw the bullet hole" Lt. Dan Dupree said.
Dupree said the bullet pierced the rig "up high" and the casing was still lodged in the apparatus.
"Luckily nobody was injured," he said.
Firefighters contacted the police who checked the area and found surveillance footage of two groups firing weapons at each other near a gas station.
"Originally we thought they were targeted, but the police investigation determined that it was most likely a stray bullet," Dupree said, adding that police are continuing their investigation.
"Ironically, just last night, three of our fire stations had break-ins," said Dupree. "It happened at several fire stations in surrounding counties as well last night."
He said that 10 vehicles belonging to Cobb County firefighters were broken into while crews were in the station. Four weapons were stolen, along with tools and other personal belongings.
Dozens of robberies have been reported by on-duty firefighters at fire stations across the Metro Atlanta area in recent months.
"They know a lot of us carry weapons and that we can't bring them into the fire station," Dupree said.
The department is looking to increase safety measures around fire stations in the wake the recent round of robberies.
