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An Alameda County Fire Department crew that was out on assignment in the Tri-Valley was hit hard last week after $20,000 worth of equipment was stolen from their trucks while they were resting at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Pleasanton.
Cheryl Hurd, the public affairs manager for the fire department, told the Weekly that on the morning of Feb. 6, the ACFD Hand Crew 8, found out that their two service trucks and a buggy were broken into and vandalized.
“Pleasanton Police Department received a report of multiple auto burglaries, which possibly occurred overnight,” Teri Yan, community and public relations coordinator for the PPD, told the Weekly. “Alameda County Fire Department employees informed our officers that approximately $22,000 worth of tools were stolen from their work vehicles.”
According to Hurd, five STIHL chainsaws, which each cost about $1,800; about 10 STIHL guide bars, which cost about $180 each; a $100 flashlight; a $370 weather meter; and a fire shelter that costs about $570 were all stolen along with some other equipment.
Yan said PPD detectives are investigating this incident and are asking anyone who has information related to this case to call the non-emergency line at (925) 931-5100.
“This is always a devastating blow,” Hurd said. “With the weather about to turn, it’s very important for this group to have all the equipment needed to make sure the public is safe.”
Hurd said that the suspects also made out with several personal items belonging to those on the crew, which were irreplaceable, and that the robbery put the crew temporarily out of service.
“As a new program, Crew 8 operates with limited resources, making this loss even more challenging to overcome,” Hurd said in a press release. “However, we stand united as a department and a community and are determined to support our firefighters.”
In the days since the robbery, Hurd said that ACFD was able to replace the equipment through the department’s budget.
Hurd said that Crew 8 was out taking care of five cities in Alameda County that were hit hard by the most recent atmospheric river storm, including Livermore.
In a ACFD Instagram post from Feb. 8, the crew can be seen using their saws to cut down trees that fell over on roads and in front of houses. According to the post, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) had assigned crews out to various areas ahead of the storm to make sure these issues were dealt with immediately.
Hurd added that before the robbery, the crew had punched in 136 hours of work over the course of seven days.
“We’re not immune from what’s going on in society as a whole but it really affects us a lot when we’re trying to help other people,” Hurd said.
She also is asking residents to stay on the lookout and report anything that might help with the recovery of their stolen equipment.
This is not the first robbery incident to take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton.
Last June, longtime kettle corn vendor Ronald Buder had his truck and equipment stolen from the same hotel on Johnson Drive.
“As a general reminder to the public, please remove all valuables from their cars, lock their doors and park in well-lit areas,” Yan said. “If you see something, say something.”
