Hunter Ambulance Service on the Lookout for Stolen Radio

The device is valued at $5,000, but the department says they're not interested in pressing charges; they just want it back.

HUNTER, N.D. (KVRR) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says that on June 24, when the Hunter Ambulance Service building was open to the public so cleanup volunteers could stop in to rest and recharge, someone took an EMS radio off the charging dock.

It actually took an outside agency tipping off the volunteer personnel of Hunter’s Ambulance Service for them to realize something had been stolen.

“We were notified by dispatch that one of our radios was being used in the middle of the night,” said Ben Longlet, EMR volunteer.

But once the reality set in, it was a bitter disappointment.

“You’re not only stealing from an entity, you’re stealing from a community that’s already in pain,” said Longlet. “It’s a bummer when you’re trying to do something good, and it’s turned into a negative situation.”

The Motorola APX 4000R not only helps in the coordination of emergency responses, it also represents a major chunk of change for the department. Longlet says that $5,000 is about 5% of their annual budget.

Still, the city says they won’t press charges if the radio is returned intact.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office say they’ve tracked the radio to the Fargo area but have no other comment at this time.