How's That Again?
A FLORIDA WOMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED with impersonating a firefighter and misuse of 9-1-1 following a nutty episode in the panhandle county of Okaloosa on Sunday morning. Sarah Barnes, 19, and her friend, both dressed in short shorts and "revealing" tops were snooping through the debris of a house that had burned down on Saturday night when they were challenged by a family member who had also shown up.
Sarah Barnes (dressed differently)
The Daily News reports:
Deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office were called to Trotter Way in Baker, which was the scene of a house fire that had resulted in a total loss, according to the press release.
A family member of the victims who had lived in the home told law enforcement she had seen two women on the property. She said one of the women, later identified as Sara Elizabeth Barnes, told her she "works for the Baker Fire Department" and had stopped by to make sure the fire had not restarted.
The home is not in Baker Fire Department's district.
When the witness asked Barnes why she wasn't in uniform Barnes responded by calling 911 and reporting smoke and flames coming from the residence.
At that time, Barnes also began putting on bunker gear trousers, which is a standard piece of a firefighter's uniform.
When units from the North Okaloosa Fire Department arrived, they found no evidence of any fire or smoke coming from the debris, and the fire chief told the sheriff deputies on the scene that Barnes was not a certified firefighter.
When she phoned in her false alarm, she identified herself to the call taker as an "off-duty Baker firefighter." An official with the Baker FD confirmed that she was not a firefighter and was not authorized to be in possession of the clothing. They also added that they were acquainted with her because she had started her basic fire training on three occasions and had dropped out all three times.
The Daily News has the full STORY.
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Also on FireGeezer…
- Firefighter Impersonator Gets 5 Years – January 14, 2011
