SCITUATE, R.I. -- The garage bays at the Chopmist Hill Fire Department sit empty, and police tape cordons off the building.
Town officials said Tuesday that it will stay that way while they investigate alleged misuse of town property.
Pictures purportedly show firefighters filling up a Chopmist truck with water from neighboring Johnston without permission.
"Obviously, that kind of allegation is troubling. These are town assets, municipal assets, though they are in the control of a non-municipal volunteer organization," said David D'Agostino, the Scituate town solicitor.
Chopmist Hill Fire Chief Dennis Gaffney said they've had a long-standing agreement with Johnston that pre-dates current officials in both towns.
"There was no written policy. It was an agreement that we could use the hydrants for fires or training or whatever, and it's been past practice," Gaffney said.
Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena said there was no written or verbal agreement with his administration and that he could find no evidence of any agreement with previous mayors.
Polisena said he's billing Scituate for the estimated water use and applauded the closing of the fire station.
Officials in Scituate said residents should not be concerned about the closing of Chopmist Hill and that the town's three other fire stations and mutual aid can cover its ground.
"Public safety has not been in jeopardy or compromised in any fashion, nor will it be in the future," said Col. David Randall of the Scituate Police Department.
"For a truck to come from one end of town to this end of town, you're talking 15 minutes. I don't think that's safe," Gaffney said.
Gaffney said he believes the shutdown was the result of rescue personnel in the station, who are paid, deciding to unionize.
"They're retaliating against Chopmist Hill," Gaffney said.
Scituate Town Council President Robert Budway called that "nonsense, absolutely nonsense."
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
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