News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The Sisters Camp-Sherman Rural Fire Protection District has tightened security measures after someone broke into an ambulance at Sisters Fire Hall on Sunday night, April 9, apparently in a futile attempt to steal narcotics.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the break-in.
According to Fire Chief Tay Robertson, a person or persons unknown snuck into the station past the duty officer and entered the ambulance, breaking into one of two locked medical containers.
“We had drugs and syringes stolen from the medical units,” Robertson said.
However, the thieves were unable to access the controlled substances also locked in the ambulance.
Robertson said the drugs they made off with were not narcotics and were essentially worthless as street drugs.
“I don’t think they even knew what they were taking,” he said.
The ambulance was undamaged aside from a couple of locks.
“They were in and out quickly and there was really minimal damage,” Robertson said.
The stealthy nature of the theft raised concerns about the possibility of an “inside job.”
The chief said he and his staff immediately investigated that possibility and eliminated that possibility. He said the sheriff’s office is looking into witness reports of seeing people leaving the fire station that night.
The break-in was a sobering dash of reality for the fire district.
“We’ve taken some extreme security measures to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” the chief said.
The nature of those measures will remain undisclosed.
Robertson said the incident should serve as a warning to residents.
“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Sisters is not what it used to be. I would encourage anyone who leaves their doors unlocked that they can’t do that anymore in this town.”
There are currently no suspects in the break-in. Robertson requests that anyone with information contact him at 549-0771 or the sheriff’s office at 549-2302.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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