TOLEDO, Ohio — Law enforcement and other agencies completed their investigation of Toledo Fire Station 13 after a hole was discovered in the ductwork above the women's locker room in December 2022.
According to a press release, TFRD Professional Standards Bureau and TPD Special Victims Unit began investigating on Dec. 27, 2022, just one day after the hole in the ductwork was discovered.
Both the internal investigation by TFRD and the criminal investigation conducted by TPD included obtaining any possible evidence as to "how and/or when" the hole was placed in the ductwork. Authorities also interviewed both currently and formerly assigned firefighters at station 13 and building maintenance staff.
Investigators with TPD and TFRD said they concluded the investigation after a lack of physical evidence and no further leads prevented them from pinpointing "who, when or what caused the hole in the ductwork."
The investigation also concluded there was no evidence indicating the presence of any viewing or recording devices in the vicinity of the locker room. Authorities said interviews with female firefighters provided conflicting information regarding how long the hole had been in the ductwork. Some stated the hole could have been there for "ten or more years."
Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said locker room and restroom inspections will be more rigorous in the future.
"I am committed to providing a safe and secure environment within our fire stations, all TFRD buildings, and bureaus," Armstrong said in a statement. "As a result of this incident, all TFRD station locker rooms and restrooms will be inspected on a regular basis to ensure safe and secure areas."
Citing the lack of any suspects or evidence, police said they will not issue criminal or departmental charges and changed the status of the case to "inactive." The case will remain inactive unless further information is brought forward, police and investigators said.
Shortly after the hole was discovered in December, authorities said they repaired it and inspected all restrooms and locker rooms across TFRD stations. TFRD completed their internal investigation on Feb. 8.
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