In wake of shooting, Long Beach firefighters’ gear stolen

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Two weeks after a Long Beach firefighter was shot to death, his colleagues thought they were under fire again and fled — only to return and find their equipment stolen.

Capt. Matt Dobberpuhl says the scare came Monday night as firefighters answered a medical call. He says they heard a loud noise that sounded like gunfire and retreated in their fire engine until police gave the all-clear about 40 minutes later.

The firefighters returned to find someone had stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of gear, including a defibrillator. Luckily, Dobberpuhl says the medical problem was minor. He says the apparent gunfire might have been illegal fireworks.

Fire Capt. Dave Rosa was shot on June 25 during a call to a retirement community. A 77-year-old resident is charged with his murder.