HALFWAY, MD -- A thousand things went through Halfway Fire Chief Jamie Drawbaugh's mind when he got a call about his station being broken into.
"When one of the guys called me Sunday night, I just couldn't imagine. Why? Who? Drawbaugh said in a phone interview Tuesday evening.
An ambulance crew returning from a call saw the damage to the glass door beside the bay doors.
Three deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded with guns drawn and started searching for the culprit or culprits.
"I walked around back and saw all the glass on the apron by the bay door window. Then, I saw the fur around the frame. I just couldn't believe it."
The station's security system captured the culprit's entry and dramatic escape. It also showed the suspect was alone in the firehouse dash as no other suspects were observed
"It came running across the street from in between two houses and crashed right through the glass doors. We're guessing it ran straight through to the back and saw the windows," the chief said with a laugh. "It was the only way out. It was a pretty good-sized deer too."I didn't see any blood, just fur."
It's fortunate no one was in the bay and the ambulance wasn't in its usual spot or the outcome may have been different.
He's glad the station is equipped with a security camera as they'll be showing it to the insurance company.
"Yeah, it was pretty crazy..."
When he took over as chief in January after 36 years with the department, Drawbaugh said he knew to be ready for the unexpected.
