Either late on December 27 or early in the morning on December 28, someone forced entry into the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Department's Station 2, located at 15 Little City Rd.
Chief Dick Bauer called the burglary "puzzling" because he said easily sold items like a GPS, defibrillators, saws and power tools were left behind. The thieves snatched rescue gear instead.
"They took equipment that was very specific to the fire service, that would really have no practical use. It would be very difficult to pawn," said Baeur.
He is still totaling the amount lost to the vandals but estimates it'll rack up a bill close to $20,000 because several of the items taken were electronics.
First selectwoman Cathy Iino anticipates insurance and the town's rainy day fund will cover the costs.
"But, of course in the long run it does affect the taxpayers. We try to run a really tight ship and keep our expenses down," said Iino.
Police found evidence at the scene, which they are processing. The investigation is ongoing.
"I don't have confidence I'll see the equipment again but I do have confidence that they'll find the person and bring them to justice," said Bauer.
He added that firefighting services are not currently affected by this break-in because other towns in the area have lent Killingworth some of the the life-saving equipment it is missing.
If you have any information or saw anything suspicious, please call Killingworth's resident trooper or Troop F-Westbrook at 860-399-2100.
