Off-duty FL chief chases hit & run suspect & orders fire truck to block teen’s path
Click here if video above fails to play
Click here to listen to radio traffic
Firefighters in St. Johns County, Florida decided to jump in and fight crime on November 24 when a hit and run involving a teenager occurred in the neighborhood of the operations chief for St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
According to WJXT-TV, Chief Kurt Kaunath was off-duty and heard the crash occur. When the teen left the scene Chief Kaunath gave chase in his county vehicle. The chief also gave instructions for the on-duty firefighters aboard Engine 10, to block in the driver with their new rig.
The crime and safety analyst for the TV station, Gil Smith, is critical of the firefighters getting involved saying, “People with the Fire Department are not trained for pursuit driving, that is, how to go through intersections. They know how to do that as to respond to a fire. They are trained to do that.” What do you think?
“Yeah, Doug, see if you can block Solano Road,” Kaunath said in the radio calls. “He’s coming toward you. He won’t get you until Corona.”
The Fire Department defended the actions of its operations chief, who’s been with the department for 28 years. The department released a statement, which reads:
“SJCFR has completed an internal inquiry into the incident and determined although the events described above are certainly not a normal occurrence, the Operations Chief was acting in the interest of public safety, the protection of the injured juvenile driver and the public traveling in the area. The intent of following the vehicle and order to block a road was not meant to place fire rescue crews at greater risk than many other emergency events encountered.”
The teen eventually pulled into a driveway, where Ponte Vedra Inn and Club security caught up with him. Once police arrived, the fire crew left the scene.
