Hydraulic rescue cutter stolen from Helchteren fire station: ‘Stolen for a specific purpose’

A hydraulic cutter worth about €60,000 has been stolen from the fire station in Helchteren, equipment firefighters use to free victims trapped in vehicles after road crashes.

Fire commander Dominic Knapen said the stolen tool included a hydraulic cutter and spreader. He described it as expensive specialist equipment and said the theft appeared unlikely to have been carried out by an ordinary home handyman.

“We suspect that this was stolen to order. An ordinary do-it-yourselfer does not know what to do with something like this. It was stolen for a specific purpose. We hope the police can determine what that purpose is,” Knapen said.

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We suspect that this was stolen to order. An ordinary do-it-yourselfer does not know what to do with something like this. It was stolen for a specific purpose. We hope the police can determine what that purpose is.

Similar thefts have been reported in recent weeks at fire stations in Lommel and Ranst, as well as earlier at stations in the Netherlands. Knapen called the Helchteren theft outrageous, saying firefighters need the equipment to help people. The station still has reserve tools, although they are not the newest available.

Police are investigating and have footage of the break-in, which Knapen said happened particularly quickly. Firefighters urged residents and passers-by to watch for suspicious activity, including vehicles repeatedly passing a station, since not all stations are permanently staffed.

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We serve the population and need this equipment to help people.