By Dylan Adams
News Editor

Kutztown Fire & Rescue’s Ladder 46 responded to two separate calls at KU on the evening of Oct. 14.

The first call was to Old Main where the responders attempted to retrieve a student’s cell-phone from the Old Main clock tower. 

The operation was deemed unsafe for fire personnel because of Old Main’s slate and metal roof fire personnel had to move across to reach the student’s device. 

The second call was for an elevator rescue within Deatrick Hall.

On Facebook, members of the community asked Kutztown Fire & Rescue why they responded to a call for a student’s cell phone.

Kutztown resident Chad Long asked why the fire company was in charge of the call to retrieve a phone from the roof, bringing up the idea that dispatching a ladder truck isn’t free.

“We stopped trying to understand some things a while ago and just chalk it up to being a college.”

-Kutztown Fire and Rescue PR Department

Kutztown F&R responded to Long’s comment, stating that the Kutztown F&R has a contract with KU to provide fire, rescue and other services. They also established that KU facilities were not able to access the roof, so the fire company decided to try their hand. At the scene, they determined that the task was not worth the risk of safety for personnel.

Long responded to Kutztown F&R’s response, stating his opinion that dispatching a ladder truck for such an incident seemed “a little excessive.”

Kutztown F&R responded that it understands how it can be viewed as excess and appreciates the opinion. They went on to state, “As a community department, we try to do whatever we can to help with whatever the issue is.”

Kutztown F&R also stated that the phone belonged to a student who had allegedly moved to the roof to “hangout” and University Police would not allow him to go back on the roof to retrieve his device.

“We stopped trying to understand some things a while ago and just chalk it up to being a college,” Kutztown F&R’s PR department responded.