Former Ohio Firefighter Pleads No Contest Over False Alarm

A former firefighter pleaded no contest for making a false call that summoned two fire departments to New Russia Township Hall for a reported fire.

Dean Evans, 27, joined the South Amherst Fire Department during the summer of 2014.

He called in the fake fire in April 2015, according to the Chronicle-Telegram. Investigators determined that Evans phoned in the false alarm after finding the 911 caller's phone number on his fire department application.

He was fired from the department during the investigation and South Amherst Fire Chief Al Schmitz said Evans had been in trouble in the past when he made false calls and set a small brush fire.

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“Dean advised that his family is falling on hard times financially and his auxiliary status at the South Amherst Fire Department has been pretty slow,” a deputy wrote in his investigation report. “Dean advised that he thought up a plan to be in the area of the South Amherst Fire Department then call in a bogus fire at the hall.”