Police recover rescue stolen from Rhode Island Hospital

May 21, 2018 10:49 am

Courtesy of the Providence Police Department

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Providence, R.I. (WLNE)- Police have recovered a rescue after it was stolen from Rhode Island Hospital Monday morning.

The rescue was reported stolen at 5:44 A.M. after it was left on, outside the hospital. It was later recovered in Connecticut near exit 92 on I-95 South.

Police identify the suspect as 36-year-old Johnny Kimbrough. Police won’t say if he was a patient but he has a lengthy rap sheet.

"Anything from disorderly conduct to robberies, I think there might be some B and E’s on there," says Major David Lapatin with the Providence Police Department.

Paul Doughty, the President of the Providence Firefighters’ Union says the department policy is to keep the trucks running.

"The operator and the officer of the rescue did nothing wrong. It was the department’s policy to leave it running so that we are always ready to respond," he says.

Doughty says once its off, there’s always the risk the rescue won’t start back up again.

"Just like your vehicle at home if someone leaves the lights on, the battery is dead, the alternator belts come off, all those things make it that if you left it running it would continue running, if you shut it off then its not going to be able to start," says Doughty.

Because of this, there has been a temporary change to the policy while they work to come up with a permanent solution.

"Our firefighters and EMTs will not be leaving any rescues running unattended, if they can’t secure them then they’ll shut the engines down," says Steven Pare, the Providence Public Safety Commissioner.

Kimbrough was arrested without incident by Connecticut state police.

There was no damage to the rescue.