Everett Fire Chief addresses theft of $1.2M fire engine stolen during emergency call
Jul 23, 2025, 4:00 PM
Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco provided details Wednesday about last week’s theft of a fire engine during an emergency call. It was the first time in the department’s 133-year history that something like that had happened.
In a prepared statement before the Everett City Council, DeMarco said a thief drove off in an idling engine that had been parked in the roadway with its emergency lights flashing—standard protocol during emergency incidents.
Everett Fire Chief details fire engine theft
“This has been a sentinel event, not just for us, but for the fire service across the country,” DeMarco said. “Fire engines are not passenger vehicles. They aren’t equipped with keys or an ignition or a braking system that an untrained person would even be able to recognize. Yet the perpetrator managed to release the brakes, put the unit in gear, and overcome an immobilization device at the wheels.”
He emphasized that idling fire trucks are a national standard due to their need for continuous power and specialized equipment.
At approximately 10 p.m. on Friday, July 18, Everett Fire Engine No. 1 and Paramedic Unit No. 1 were dispatched to a medical emergency at 2917 Hoyt, the fire department said in a press release.
“They arrived five minutes later and proceeded to the 5th floor of the building to find the affected patient. Our paramedics and EMTs worked with that patient until the issue was resolved. They spent approximately 60 minutes with the patient,” according to the release.
When they were done, they came out to find the engine gone and the immobilization device known as a “wheel chock” smashed flat, the release said.
Just then, Snohomish County 911 began receiving calls about a fire engine involved in a crash. Dispatchers began asking via radio if Engine One was involved, and the crew quickly realized the fire engine had been stolen.
Twelve vehicles, including the fire engine, were damaged.
Everett Fire Dept. revises security gaps
Security upgrades have already been implemented, though DeMarco declined to share specific details publicly.
“We’re researching available engineering options to prevent this from happening again,” DeMarco said. “But it’s important to understand that this is not as simple as just installing a keypad or a door lock. It’s also not a cost issue. Any effort to insert additional layers of protection in emergency vehicles adds to the risk of mechanical failure at a crucial moment,” he said. “They cannot fail.”
Following the incident, the department activated a reserve engine to maintain emergency services, and there have been no service gaps, DeMarco noted. The damaged vehicle is being evaluated for repairs.
Replacement engines ordered years ago arrived in Mount Vernon last week and are expected to be in service by August.
The fire engine that was stolen, a 2018 Pierce Enforcer Pumper, cost $600,000 in 2018. The same model engine costs $1.2 million in 2025, the department said.
