x
Breaking News
More () »

$3,000 in gear stolen from search and rescue truck parked in Littleton

The truck was parked at County Line and Broadway in Littleton. Volunteers worry they won't be ready to respond to the next disaster.

LITTLETON, Colo. — The two-and-a-half ton hunk of metal on wheels is designed to roll in during rough times.

“We went down to Houston for Hurricane Harvey," said Steven Stuchell.

Stuchell and a small team of volunteers recently used the old military truck in Davenport, Iowa and Winslow, Nebraska, too.

“We use this truck for water response, for wildland fires and flood relief," he said.

Stuchell and the team dubbed National Fire Guard stocked the truck with supplies they paid for out of their own pockets.

“We use axes, shovels, fire extinguishers, life vests, helmets, hardhats, lights, LED lights, generators, pumps," Stuchell said. “I mean, the list just goes on.”

The giant toolbox of a truck isn't much use without its tools.

“Somebody ransacked the truck," Stuchell said.

Stuchell said he parked the truck in a business lot at West County Line Road and South Broadway in Littleton.

Sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning, someone broke into the cab and found the keys to the lockers on the exterior of the truck.

“We had all our rescue gear in here," Stuchell said, opening one of the lockers. "There was helmets, there was our personal life vests.”

The thief didn't have any trouble with padlocks or bolts. Stuchell said a large generator bolted to the bed of the truck was taken. 

Stuchell can't imagine who would steal gear or how he will replace what was lost. He estimates the missing equipment is worth about $3,000.

“We really don’t have the funds to buy the equipment," he said.

Stuchell worries his team isn't equipped to respond to the next disaster.

“This is a big hit," he said.“It affected everybody that we might try to help. It affected the guys that I do this with.”

The group plans to set up a GoFundMe soon. They'll post updates on their Facebook page.

SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS 

Before You Leave, Check This Out