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Committee hears bill to criminalize theft of critical equipment from fire and EMS facilities
Summary
Senate Bill 5323 would expand first‑degree theft and possession of stolen property to include stolen equipment taken from fire stations, EMS facilities or vehicles when the items are critical to first responders' emergency work. Supporters cited rural vulnerabilities; critics urged clearer limits to avoid criminalizing de minimis thefts.
Olympia, March 17 — The House Community Safety Committee heard testimony Monday on Substitute Senate Bill 5323, a proposal to broaden first‑degree theft and possession statutes to cover equipment stolen from firefighters and emergency medical providers when taken from stations, emergency buildings or vehicles and when the property is critical to emergency response.
Senator Judy Warnick, sponsor of the bill, told the committee she introduced the measure after a volunteer firefighter in her rural legislative district reported that parts or equipment had been stolen and left a station unable to respond. "We need to make it tougher on people who steal from first responders," Warnick said, describing incidents where batteries, wiring or tools essential to apparatus functioning were taken.
Under current law, first‑degree possession and theft thresholds depend on value (for non‑motor vehicle, non‑firearm property exceeding $5,000) and other elements. The bill would expand the covered conduct so that possessing stolen property or equipment used by firefighters or EMS that is critical to their work would qualify as possession of stolen property in the first degree or theft in the first degree when taken from a fire station, EMS building, structure or vehicle.
Volunteer firefighters and other witnesses described the operational harms: a firefighter who testified said he frequently found chainsaws and other tools missing; another described the theft of "jaws of life" gear later used in additional crimes. Representative questions focused on how to distinguish critical operational equipment from small, de minimis items. One member asked whether a Band‑Aid or other small medical supply could be prosecuted under the bill.
Ramona Brandes, representing criminal defense organizations, urged an amendment to avoid prosecuting trivially small thefts such as a Band‑Aid. Brandes suggested either a monetary de minimis threshold (for example, over $750) or a functional test that criminalizes only theft that renders first responders unable to respond or causes a significant delay. Senator Warnick and others said the bill is intended to cover equipment that obstructs or delays emergency response, not small consumables, and committed to work with defense counsel and stakeholders on technical language.
The committee left the hearing open for further amendment and asked stakeholders to propose clarifying language in advance of next week's executive action. No formal committee vote was taken Monday.
