It must have been around 5 p.m. Tuesday when startled residents in Los Fresnos saw a Brownsville Fire Department vehicle speeding toward a fire call in San Benito.
What, they wondered, is a Brownsville fire department car doing speeding – with emergency lights flashing – hurtling toward San Bene, away from its base in Brownsville?
Turns out that it was the personal vehicle of Fire Dept. interim chief Jarrett V. Sheldon.
Sheldon, it turns out, is a member of the Los Fresnos volunteer fire department, and was hurtling toward the call. What he could have done with the vehicle (it's actually his personal car) to fight the fire is anyone's guess, but it did give him a way to get to the scene.
Now firefighters are wondering whether the chief answering calls in San Benito might expose the city to liability in case of a mishap. If for some reason Sheldon was to get involved in an accident, would the city's insurance carrier cover it? If he was to hurt someone? Or perhaps roll over and hurt himself?
There might be some kind of mutual aid agreement between departments, but does this cover the chief driving off by himself on behalf of Los Fresnos volunteer fire department?
People used to complain when former fire chief Carlos Elizondo used to speed inside the City of Brownsville for no apparent reason other than to avoid peak-hour traffic because he might cause an accident. Should we be worried about the interim chief, too?