A fifth teenager, who is not an Explorer, was also charged.
The teens, ages 15 to 17, were arrested last week after a deputy saw them cruising in a Ford Escort with the headlights off through the largely unlit neighborhood of Pine Tree Estates near Holmberg Road. Each suspect was charged with multiple counts of burglary conveyance with additional charges pending. All were released to their parents.
"It is upsetting," said Coral Springs Fire Chief Donald Haupt Jr. "These were all good kids. They just got in with the wrong group."
The four Explorers were honored during a May 18 Coral Springs commission meeting, after their team placed second overall in the annual Fire Rescue Explorer Challenge. The team, which meets every Sunday, had competed in activities such as hose rolling, first aid and bucket brigade.
"These are fine young men and women who are augmenting their education with positive and rewarding part-time activity," a city commission report said.
Haupt said the four teens have been suspended from the Explorers, pending the outcome of the police investigation.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is not naming the suspects because they are juveniles.
The Broward Sheriff's Office has been embroiled in controversy in recent months involving the improper clearance of cases. But Parkland Sheriff's Office chief Dave Carry said that has not happened in this instance.
"There are no cases that have been cleared that have not been cleared by arrests," Carry said. "There are cases pending, but they are still under investigation."
Coral Springs police will handle a majority of the cases, the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies caught the teens on July 29 with a stash of cell phones, palm pilots, speakers and radios worth about $15,000. They also had a Broward County Fire Rescue jacket, protective gloves, fire boots and a bag of medical supplies that had been reported stolen from a Broward County fire rescue vehicle in Coral Springs on July 15, the sheriff's office said.
The teens confessed to several burglaries in Parkland and also claimed responsibility for dozens of other car break-ins in Parkland and Coral Springs, the sheriff's office said. Items were taken from unlocked vehicles, officials said.
Coral Springs Sgt. Rich Nicorvo said detectives are investigating. Formed in 1985, the Coral Springs Fire Explorers is aimed at youth from 15 to 20 years old. The post, which has about 50 members, is a member of Learning for Life, South Florida, a subsidiary of the National Boy Scout organization.
Explorers train with firefighters, are issued gear and often ride on fire trucks with certified firefighters. The program is designed to interest students in the fire service, Haupt said.
Barry Reams, 59, whose sunglasses, CDs, radar and cell phone charger were stolen from his 2002 Toyota Tundra in Parkland, was shocked to learn the suspects worked with Coral Springs firefighters.
"That's a good way to start," Reams said. "Amazing."
Otto Goedhart, director of Learning for Life in Miami, called the arrests disturbing.
"This program was in place for kids to be steered in the right direction," Goedhart said.Cars parked at homes in Pine Tree Estates were easy targets because they are set on one-acre lots in an area with no streetlights.
"In this case, every one of [the car owners] them left their doors unlocked. They just reached in and took whatever they could," Carry said. "In this classic example, had they taken the precaution of locking their car doors, setting their alarms, having the flashing alarm on, these kids wouldn't have messed with those cars."
As of Wednesday, Parkland detectives were still trying to match $1,000 in stolen goods with victims.
