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A West Virginia man is in police custody after impersonating a firefighter and attempting to use a two-way radio to cancel fire and EMS personnel that were called to a Maryland home, according to the State Fire Marshal.
Matthew Milburn, 32, of Romney, West Virginia, is facing charges in Maryland for impersonating a firefighter and impeding an emergency 911 call that was made earlier this week, authorities announced.
On Tuesday, June 7, Barton Hose Company and the George's Creek Ambulance Service were called to the 17100 block of Pekin Street in Allegany County for a medical emergency, according to officials.
While responding, Fire Chief Kevin Rounds heard over the online app “Zello" - a person calling himself "Captain 38” - who was later identified as Milburn - told firefighters that an unconscious person was “10-4” and they could cancel the response.
The caller stated that he used Narcan to reverse the effects of an overdose, and there was no need to respond.
Upon arrival, first responders say they saw Milburn walking away from the area, and when Rounds called for him to come back, the fire chief spotted the two-way radio attached to his belt that had been used to make the phony call.
Once that was recognized, officials say that Milburn handed the radio off and ran away.
Then Milburn doubled down.
The Fire Marshal was called in to investigate, and the search for Milburn came to a curious conclusion on Thursday, June 8, during an entirely separate investigation.
While investigators were searching for him to question him about the radio transmission, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office got a call regarding a dispute between neighbors, at least one of whom was armed.
Officials responded to the home, and they found Milburn, who was arrested on a bench warrant before later admitting that he was the person on the radio.
The Fire Marshal noted that Milburn was charged in a similar incident in Virginia in April 2017.
“He admitted to Frederick County Fire Marshal investigators that he had identified himself over the radio as a unit from the Reynolds Store Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company 20 in Cross Junction, even though he was not a member of that organization.”
He was charged with three counts of impersonating a firefighter.
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