Published Saturday, 21 April 2012
McDonnell Street area, west Belfast, where the theft occurred. (© UTV)
A motorbike parked at the back of houses at McDonnell Street was set on fire shortly after 4am on Saturday.
As he tried to extinguish the blaze, the male occupant's face, hands, and feet were burned. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The Fire Service put out the fire and as paramedics treated the man for his injuries, a vital piece of equipment was stolen from their ambulance.
Ambulance Service spokesman John McPoland said the MDT screen - the screen by which control centre communicates with crews while they are on the road - is a "very important piece of equipment to us".
When the MDT screen is stolen we then have to take that vehicle off the road. It will probably be Monday afternoon at the earliest before we can replace that.
John McPoland
The vehicle's sat nav was also taken during the incident and Mr McPoland said although thefts from ambulances are not common, it has happened before.
"We would ask anybody who would be predisposed to stealing any equipment from any vehicle to consider why an ambulance is parked up.
"It means that an ambulance crew is attending a patient who needs their help, in a life and death situation probably, and we would ask them to show some kind of consideration to the service that we provide for their own communities and to ensure that ambulances are left untouched while attending scenes," he added.