Two N.Y. Firefighters Accused of False Fire Report
Source The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Nov. 11--Two suspended members of the Barker Volunteer Fire Department were arrested today on felony charges for allegedly sending the company out on a false alarm call in the middle of the night.
Andrew J. Steel, 26, of Palister Road, and Travis E. McKenna, 23, of Townline Road, were released on their own recognizance following their arraignments this evening before Somerset Town Justice Donald P. Martineck on the felony charge of second-degree falsely reporting an incident, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office reported.
They are accused of activating the tones for the volunteer department and falsely reporting there was an active house fire with people trapped inside on Quaker Road in the town of Somerset early on the morning of Oct. 14.
Both voluntarily reported for arraignment today. Neither could be reached to comment afterward.
The two face possible state prison terms of up to four years if convicted of sending out false reports.
Court officials and sheriff's Investigator Raymond Degan, who broke the case with sheriff's Investigator Charles Baker, said Steel and McKenna are due back in town court on Dec. 1.
Court documents showed Steel and McKenna were arrested as a result of a half dozen false alarm calls made to the Barker volunteer company before 3 a.m. on Oct. 14, which caused the fire company needlessly to go into action.
The sheriff's investigators said they learned that Steel purchased an expensive portable radio on eBay and obtained software to program it so it could activate the pagers of the volunteer department.
When pressed by Degan and Baker during the investigation two weeks ago, Steel voluntarily turned over his portable radio, which later was confirmed as the one linked to the false fire calls, deputies said.
At that time the investigators lacked enough evidence to legally link Steel to the actual calls. However, it later was confirmed that at least one of the false calls McKenna and Steel allegedly made while riding around in a truck early on Oct. 14 was preserved and Barker firefighters recognized McKenna's voice.
According to the criminal investigation, both suspects quickly turned off their own pagers and ignored the call made to all volunteer firefighters. But a number of other volunteers showed up at the Barker fire hall, only to learn they were responding to a false alarm.
At the time of the October incident Steel and McKenna were both active members of the Barker Volunteer Fire Company but as a result of the criminal case, they have been placed on suspension pending further action by the fire company.
Barker Fire Chief Randy Hildegrand could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
