CINCINNATI (AP) --

Police say a veteran who shot at firefighters conducting a welfare check at his Cincinnati home won't be charged in connection with the misunderstanding.

Kenneth Mullins says he fired at firefighters who forced entry into his home on Sunday morning because he thought the commotion was an intruder breaking in.

A police spokesman says the Cincinnati Fire Department was called to assist officers checking on Mullins at the behest of the man's friends.

Mullins' friends alerted the authorities after he missed a scheduled appointment for treatment at the local Veterans Affairs hospital.

Mullins says his father was once attacked during a home invasion, which is why he is always armed.

The incident has prompted Cincinnati's fire union to call for enhanced safety measures for firefighters.