Cory Thackara of the Orangeville Community Fire Company was shocked Tuesday that fellow firefighter Colton Barrett is accused of setting fires.
"He always had his head on straight in school and I was surprised that he stole that stuff but I was very surprised with the arson case," Thackara said.
Even though Barrett pleaded guilty last week to stealing and selling fire department equipment, he still responded to Monday's fire, a fire he is now charged with setting.
That raises the question why was he still an active firefighter?
"It was not written in our bylaws with stealing or anything like that but from what I heard they are trying to have that put in our bylaws," Thackara added.
The fire chief confirmed that and insisted he asked Barrett not to respond to fire calls after pleading guilty but Barrett was not barred from the fire house because the chief feared a lawsuit.
"A situation like this cuts both ways," said Dave Broadt, board member of the Columbia County Fire Chiefs Association. "So it's an anger and sadness issue. We're discouraged and upset when one of our own does something of this caliber in a negative stance and at the same time we feel terrible for the victims of the fire itself."
Chief Broadt said people shouldn't paint all firefighters with the same brush as accused arsonist Colton Barrett and his alleged co conspirator, Kristen Strausser.
Some now worry about their image in light of the arrests.
"I am going with what my mother told me. You can haver two bad apples but that doesn't mean the whole bunch is bad," Thackara said.
Broadt agrees. "We;re saddened by that and we don't want this put a black eye on the emergency services community," he added.
Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of volunteer fire departments. Some said the arrest of Barrett and Strausser will have lasting effects on honest first responders.
"I was devastated. Why would they want to do something. I know as volunteers we try and police our own ranks," said West Hazleton Fire Chief Robert Chief.
In Hazle Township criminal background checks are done of those who want to join. That prevents embarrassment and tarnishing the good names of some many.
"It gives volunteers across the country a bad name no matter where you are when you see something like this happen. It puts a black eye on them," said Hazle Township Fire Chief Scott Kostician.
"We're here to serve the people and it puts us in a very bad light when something like this happens," said Bob Hoegg of the Hazle Township Fire Department.
"They don't deserve to be volunteers, let alone to be in the public with everybody else. They should be in jail and stay there," said Gabe Metric of the Hazle Township Fire Department.
"He always had his head on straight in school and I was surprised that he stole that stuff but I was very surprised with the arson case," Thackara said.
Even though Barrett pleaded guilty last week to stealing and selling fire department equipment, he still responded to Monday's fire, a fire he is now charged with setting.
That raises the question why was he still an active firefighter?
"It was not written in our bylaws with stealing or anything like that but from what I heard they are trying to have that put in our bylaws," Thackara added.
The fire chief confirmed that and insisted he asked Barrett not to respond to fire calls after pleading guilty but Barrett was not barred from the fire house because the chief feared a lawsuit.
"A situation like this cuts both ways," said Dave Broadt, board member of the Columbia County Fire Chiefs Association. "So it's an anger and sadness issue. We're discouraged and upset when one of our own does something of this caliber in a negative stance and at the same time we feel terrible for the victims of the fire itself."
Chief Broadt said people shouldn't paint all firefighters with the same brush as accused arsonist Colton Barrett and his alleged co conspirator, Kristen Strausser.
Some now worry about their image in light of the arrests.
"I am going with what my mother told me. You can haver two bad apples but that doesn't mean the whole bunch is bad," Thackara said.
Broadt agrees. "We;re saddened by that and we don't want this put a black eye on the emergency services community," he added.
Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of volunteer fire departments. Some said the arrest of Barrett and Strausser will have lasting effects on honest first responders.
"I was devastated. Why would they want to do something. I know as volunteers we try and police our own ranks," said West Hazleton Fire Chief Robert Chief.
In Hazle Township criminal background checks are done of those who want to join. That prevents embarrassment and tarnishing the good names of some many.
"It gives volunteers across the country a bad name no matter where you are when you see something like this happen. It puts a black eye on them," said Hazle Township Fire Chief Scott Kostician.
"We're here to serve the people and it puts us in a very bad light when something like this happens," said Bob Hoegg of the Hazle Township Fire Department.
"They don't deserve to be volunteers, let alone to be in the public with everybody else. They should be in jail and stay there," said Gabe Metric of the Hazle Township Fire Department.
