BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Branford Fire Department is reminding residents to lock their vehicles after firefighters had their vehicles broken into in the department’s parking lot, according to the fire department.

Branford Professional Firefighters Local 2533 said that the thieves smashed the back windows to get into two locked trucks. There was $12 taken from one, but the other sustained more than $1,000 in damage.

“There wasn’t really anything valuable in them, but they couldn’t see in, so they smashed the window,” said Garrett Lizee, a firefighter, paramedic and president of the Branford Professional Firefighters Local 2533.

The trucks were damaged at about 5 a.m. Monday while firefighters were inside headquarters. The damage was discovered 15 minutes later by police recruits who stopped by to pick up a car.

“They found that their vehicle had been tampered with,” Lizee said. “They looked around the parking lot, found two of the on-staff firefighter/paramedics’ vehicles had been broken into.”

Firefighters said the chief is looking into ways to prevent other thefts. The department already has surveillance cameras and bright lights.