Toledo Man Claims Fire Department Entered Wrong Home, Damaging Door

TOLEDO, Ohio – A local man is speaking out after Toledo Fire and Rescue (TFRD) mistakenly kicked in his back door, damaging his home. The incident, which occurred in February, has left 75-year-old Ronald Jensen Sr. facing the financial burden of repairing his door after what he describes as a case of mistaken identity.

Jensen, who was returning home from a doctor’s appointment, discovered the damage when he saw that part of his back door was missing. Initially thinking his home had been broken into, he quickly contacted the police for help.

“I thought someone had broken in,” Jensen said. “I called the police because I saw the wood on my steps, and they came out. They never came up in my driveway, but they said they were talking to the dispatcher, who mentioned that the fire department had already been there.”

According to Jensen, his neighbors told the fire department that he was not at home, as he was recovering from surgery. Despite this, Toledo Fire and Rescue proceeded to kick in his door, apparently due to an incorrect address being provided by the initial 911 caller.

Jensen, who is in the process of recovering from shoulder surgery, expressed frustration at the fire department’s actions. “They walked around my house, saw no activity, and still kicked the door in,” he said. “I’m 75 years old, about to have surgery, and they did this anyway.”

The incident took place on Mansfield Avenue near Westland, and the damage left Jensen with a door that needed replacing at a cost of nearly $800. He was later told by police that the City of Toledo’s legal department would reach out to address the situation.

However, the response from the city was not what Jensen had hoped for. According to a police report, he was informed that his claim would be denied because the 911 caller had provided the wrong address. TFRD officials told him that because the error was not their fault, the city and fire department would not be held liable for the damage.

In a statement provided to 13 Action News, a TFRD spokesperson explained that the legal department had contacted Jensen five days after the incident and informed him of the denial. “Since the wrong address was given by the caller, neither the City of Toledo nor TFRD is held responsible for the damages,” the spokesperson said.

Despite this response, Jensen remains dissatisfied with how the situation has been handled. He insists that he should not be left to pay for damages caused by a mistake made by the fire department, and that the city should take responsibility for the error.

The case raises questions about accountability in situations where emergency services act on inaccurate information. For Jensen, the financial burden of repairing his door is only part of the frustration; it’s the lack of responsibility from those involved that has left him feeling unheard and overlooked.