Last week was challenging for the Mammoth Spring Fire Department.
KY3/KSPR Springfield reports at Monday night’s city council meeting, the now former Mammoth Spring Fire Chief, Casey Poulette, was given a choice by the members.
The choice was reportedly to stay on as a firefighter or go. Poulette chose to go, along with 16 other members of the department. Poulette’s choice led to the appointment of a new chief.
Doris Brown spoke with KY3 on behalf of five firefighters that left the department.
The five, along with the other department members, turned in all their firefighting gear Monday night and left, only to be called back by local police regarding a vandalism incident.
Brown says, “They went back to the station because they were called back, because there was supposed to be some kind of vandalism. Well, I know everyone of these guys and there is no way, no way in the world that they would vandalize the stuff that they had taken care of for many years.”
Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork says the vandalism at the Mammoth Spring Fire Department Monday night is a very serious crime. He says two fire trucks were vandalized, and he has asked the Arkansas State Police to investigate.
Sheriff Roork says the water was drained out of the trucks and the hoses were forcibly removed with things rendering the trucks inoperable for several hours. He says the actions put the city in a very vulnerable situation.
By Tuesday, trucks had been restored to working order.
Sheriff Roork promises a thorough investigation. He says, “Yes, we believe that it was some firefighters that did that…that were disgruntled over it.”
No one with the city council could comment on the case pending investigation.
Mammoth Spring Mayor Charles Vaughn says there are currently 14 firefighters with the department, and if they need more, retirees will come back to help. If there is any emergency situation, he says the city and the people of the Mammoth Spring area are in good hands and are safe.
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