Police were called to a Hartford fire station over the weekend after two firefighters got into an altercation during a house fire that led to one of them calling police on the other.
Over the weekend, police released a 911 call from a Hartford fire lieutenant who said he wanted to file an assault complaint against the other firefighter.
Caller: "I’m at Engine 14, 25 Blue Hills Avenue. Uh, can you send an officer up here to the fire house? I want to file an assault complaint against a firefighter.”
Dispatcher: “Is that party there as well?”
Caller: “Pardon me? No, he’s not.”
Police have not released the names of the firefighters or many of the details of the altercation, but said the reported dispute happened when firefighters responded to a house fire at 16 Chatham Street on Saturday.
Police said the two lieutenants got into a fight out of the view of the public and neighbors did not report seeing any problems, but one of the lieutenants called 911 after returning to the fire station and said he wanted to file an assault complaint, police said
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Dispatcher: “OK. 25 Blue Hills. We will be up there shortly, OK?”
Caller: “Yeah, non-emergency response is sufficient.”
Dispatcher: “OK. Absolutely.”
A source told NBC Connecticut that both lieutenants have been place on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Hartford Fire Chief Carlos Huertas released the following statement on the matter on Saturday:
“We are a Fire Department as well as a family. The women and men of this department are performing a very technical and dangerous job during the most difficult and stressful of times. Today’s incident only proves that our brave firefighters are human. Rest assure, we will examine this incident and take appropriate action to ensure public safety."
Neighbors were surprised and disappointed by the news.
“I think that the fire department is a high-powered job and they should set an example. We look up to them. I mean, they’re the people who are saving our lives every day. And they’re putting their lives on the line for us,” says Peggy Pretlow of Hartford.
Police said neither firefighter reported injuries or wanted to press charges and officials from the fire department said they will not be making any more statements until the issue is reviewed further.
