The Warfield Volunteer Fire Department has filed a lawsuit in Martin County, Kentucky, to get its repossessed firetrucks back.
In May, First Government Lease Co. of Northfield, Ill., took the vehicles. Paul Graver, doing business as First lease Company and AA Repo East, LLC of Lexington, Ky., are named as defendants in the lawsuit. The ultimate goal of the lawsuit is to get the firetrucks back, but the plaintiffs also are asking for monetary damages for what they say is harm to the community for not having their firetrucks to respond to emergencies.
Last May, four firetrucks and a four-wheeler were repossessed from the Warfield Volunteer Fire Department. Since then, surrounding departments have helped respond to emergencies.
"I know a couple people. They lost their homes because it took so long for emergency squads to get there," Breezy Jude of Warfield said.
Jude said she is not playing the blame game.
"It's not their fault. It just takes so long now for the emergency places and the emergency squad to come from other places," Jude said.
Attorney Chris Harris, representing the Warfield Volunteer Fire Department in the lawsuit to get the repossessed trucks back, said the fire department doesn't "deserve to be preyed upon by out of state companies."