SWATARA, Pa. — The Swatara Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday night to shut down the Bressler Friendship Fire Company over allegations of racial discrimination during a four-year span.
The Board unveiled a report from the township for the first time publicly, outlining a pattern of discrimination by the company, in large part through its social club. The report alleges that the company and social club did not allow minorities as members. FOX43 News has obtained a copy of the report.
“In October 2020, an individual with 35 years of service in the fire department, and a membership in the Bressler club raised an allegation of racial discrimination at the Bressler Fire Company,” the report read in part. “The complaint stated that Bressler station has a policy allowing only white members to join both a fire company and its social club.”
The report details four separate instances in 2021 where reports of racial discrimination were made to township officials, three of which came from within the Bressler fire community.
Between August of 2021 and September of 2022, the report says all information on the alleged discriminatory practices at the company was turned over to the State Attorney General's Office.
On Aug. 5, 2022, the Civil Rights Enforcement Section of the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office issued directives to Swatara Township to improve inclusion in the company, including changing its bylaws and promoting inclusivity on its website.
The Township warned the company in a letter that if it did not comply with the directives, it would "seriously risk Swatara Township revoking of all support to the fire company and ending the fire companies' affiliation with Swatara Fire Rescue."
Three accusations against the company and its social club were made in both July of 2023 and March of this year, according to the report, again alleging discriminatory practices based on race.
On April 3 of this year, the Township was notified that the Attorney General's office had reopened the investigation into the alleged discriminatory practices of the company. That same day, the Swatara Township Fire Chief announced that the company was suspended after a complaint of racial discrimination.
The Board voted 3-0 on Wednesday to shut down the company, with three Democratic members voting in favor and its two Republican members abstaining from the vote due to what they said was a lack of transparency in the process.
The report was unveiled publicly for the first time at the meeting, shortly before the matter was voted on. The attorney for the Friendship company said he was not made aware of the allegations made in the report prior to its public reading.
The board members who abstained said they were not given any time to digest the report or the details of the investigation that led to it.
“I got the timeline last night,” said Republican Commissioner Christine Zubeck. “And two days ago I got the investigative report. That's not right. What happened to transparency that you always talk about? What happened to giving us time to review the information? I don't have all the facts. I want the facts.”
Township residents expressed concern about the seriousness of the allegations, as well as the effect on fire services the closing of the company will have.