When Somerville fire fighters arrived at their new fire station in the morning on Dec. 18, they discovered that the generator they use to power the furnace in the building had been stolen.
The Honda EB 4000, which was hooked up outside the building, was worth about $2500 – an expense that the fire department doesn’t need – said Somerville Fire Chief Mike Dostie.
“It’s really frustrating, I’ll tell you,” Dostie said. “It’s going to set us back.”
The department has enough money in their building fund to replace the generator, but that money would have been just enough to finish construction on their new fire station on Rt. 105 near the Somerville School. As it is, the cost to replace the generator will force the department to go back to the town for more money, Dostie said. For now, the department is using Dostie’s camper generator.
The building must be heated to prevent the water in the fire trucks from freezing, Dostie said. “We rely on those trucks being ready to go.”
Even when they buy a new commercial generator, it will require someone to go to the fire station every few hours, bring the generator outside, hook it up and wait for about hour while the building heats up.
“We ask so much of our firefighters already; now, to add this?” Dostie said.
The generator can’t be hooked up permanently inside the building until Central Maine Power hooks up the building’s electricity, Dostie said. CMP has been too busy dealing with recent storms to get to the Somerville Fire Station, but will hopefully have it hooked up soon, Dostie said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the matter. Dostie said the generator should be easy to identify. “It’s covered in spray foam on the top from when we insulated the building. You can’t miss it,” Dostie said.
There was no damage to the building and nothing else was stolen, Dostie said.
“People have been so good to us, donating their time and giving money to build this station,” Dostie said. “I guess someone needed the generator more than we did.”
Anyone who may have any information about the theft is invited to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 882-6576.
