Volunteer firefighter arrested for false fire reports | Crime

On June 19th, the Morgan County Central Dispatch center received a report of a structure fire near Neel School Road in Morgan County.  The call was determined to be a false report. 

The call was among the first of numerous false reports in that area that the dispatch center would receive over the course of the next three months.  The dispatch center received serveral reports varying from calls for medical assistance to structure fires. 

It was determined that the calls all required the services of the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department. 

In September, administrators at the Morgan County Dispatch center were able to determine that the rash of false reports were related and notified the Decatur Police Department. 

An investigation was initiated at that time. 

As a result of the investigation, it was determined that almost all of the false reports had been called in by 19-year-old Clint Jason McAbee of Danville. 

McAbee had been a volunteer firefighter with the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department for about seven months.  McAbee responded with the department to all of the false calls that he made. 

It was determined that a 17-year-old juvenile who had served about four months at the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department had also placed at least one of the false calls for service. 

On Friday, September 16th, Clint McAbee was arrested and charged with five counts of Rendering a False Alarm, a Class A Misdemeanor. 

Charges against the juvenile are expected in Morgan County Juvenile Court. 

The false calls for service resulted not only in the response of the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department, but on some occasions also involved the response of other fire departments and the ambulance service. 

The false calls resulted in the misuse of critical public services and personnel that may have been needed elsewhere for legitimate emergencies. 

These types of false reports are taken very seriously, especially when the false reports are made by a member of an agency that responds to emergency situations. 

McAbee was held in the Decatur City Jail on a $2,500 bond. 

The investigation is ongoing by the Decatur Police Department and the Morgan County Sheriffs Office.