Indiana Fire Captain Uses Fire Truck to Water Lawn

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) -- A city fire captain has gotten in trouble for mixing work with his home life.

Capt. Kevin Shaffer must repay the department $120 for using a fire truck to water his yard. He also was reprimanded and must pay 35 cents per gallon for the water he used, officials said.

Shaffer and other firefighters were training recently on the south end of town, after which Shaffer wanted to purge the truck's tank.

Instead of dumping the water down on the street or down a drain as is normal procedure, Shaffer put the water on his lawn in the city 50 miles north of Indianapolis, Deputy Chief Pat Donoghue said Tuesday.

''We consider that a misuse of fire department equipment,'' Donoghue said. ''He said he didn't want to waste it. If he didn't want to waste it, he could have watered the department's lawn.''

Shaffer said he did not plan to appeal the reprimand or fine.