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Fire Chief Feels Betrayed by Alleged Arsonists

Fire Chief Feels Betrayed by Alleged Arsonists - Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 04:07AM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Thursday April 01 2010
WAYNE TWP., SCHUYKILL COUNTY - A Schuylkill County fire chief feels betrayed after the arrest of three of his volunteer firefighters. The Friedensburg Fire Company Chief Rick Moyer spoke at Thursday's state police news conference about the arson arrests. The chief is struggling to come to terms with the crime.

"As part of the fire company, it kind of tore my heart out and it is very hard to hear some of these things," he said.

Friedensburg Fire Chief Rick Moyer speaks at a Thursday morning news conference about three of his volunteer firefighters charged with arson -- young men he helped train to protect the community.

"There's anger because it's part of my group and you think better of these people," says Moyer.

That group includes the thee accused arsonists -- 21-year-old stepbrothers Shawn Hoy of Pine Grove and Jonathan Eichert of Orwigsburg and 18-year-old Matthew Dixon of Friedensburg.
Hoy and Dixon have volunteered with Friedensburg since they were 14. Eichert joined when he was 18.

"You have no control over anybody. You influence the ones you can and the other ones you just ask the Lord to protect them and go from there," said Moyer.

Moyer helped investigators crack the arson case by going to state police with his suspicions about Hoy. "There were certain, how do you want to say, red flags that went up on the amount of runs he (Hoy) was making and he was available all the time," he said.

Investigators say at least three more arrests are pending -- including at least two others connected to the fire company.

Chief Moyer says he will takes comfort in knowing there are men and women he can count on to protect the community. And he said despite the setback of the arrests, Friedensburg will go on serving the community and being a dependable emergency responder.

But a definite damper on Friedensburg Fire Company's 50th anniversary. "We're trying to have a celebration this year. I mean this isn't part of the celebration, but we're going to live with it," he said.

State police say they expect to make more arrests in connection with arson ring in the next few days.
 


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