By Jeff Small
Brooklyn, IL (KSDK) - Firefighters on the way to a house fire in Brooklyn, Illinois Thursday night were locked out of the fire house where they needed to get equipment.
Firefighters say it was the mayor who actually changed the locks at the fire house without telling the chief. The fire chief says he only found out late today, just a short time before a fire broke out.
NewsChannel 5 spoke with the mayor Thursday night and our camera was rolling as an Illinois State Trooper questioned the mayor outside his home.
The mayor refused to make a statement to the media before demanding we leave.
The drama started Thursday evening when the chief says a local commissioner called him saying the mayor changed the locks at the department. The chief says by the time he started looking into the matter, there was a call about a vacant house fire just one block from the firehouse.
A call for backup brought crews from State Park and Fairmount City who put out the fire.
Brooklyn's fire chief says the controversy could have cost someone's life and says this is part of an ongoing battle with the mayor.
"It's just different stuff going on and we just want to speak our mind and tell him the way we feel and to leave us alone. It makes no sense," said Chief Dari Fletcher.
While he was being questioned by police, the mayor admitted changing the locks but claims the building was unlocked Thursday night and a door was wide open.
Illinois State Police are now investigating, but so far nobody has been arrested.
KSDK