Amherst fire chief angry at 'idiots' on roof

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts fire chief says three college students his firefighters had to rescue from the roof of a campus building are "idiots" for wasting his department's time and money.

Amherst Chief W. Tim Nelson says he intends on sending bills to the Hampshire College students rescued at about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Nelson tells The Republican that had there been a more pressing emergency, response times would have been delayed.

When asked why they climbed on the roof 20 feet off the ground, one responded it was because they wanted to "see what it looked like up there." The chief noted that it was dark and raining at the time.

A Hampshire spokeswoman called the incident a "lapse in judgment," and said a school investigation is under way.

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Information from: The Springfield Republican, http://www.masslive.com/news/

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.