HORSHAM, Pa. - A Horsham firefighter lost his job after allegedly using a racial slur during a radio transmission while responding to a serious crash, according to Chief Lee Greenberg of Horsham Fire Company #1.
What we know:
A firefighter with Horsham Fire Company #1 was fired after allegedly using a racial slur over the Montgomery County radio system Tuesday.
Chief Lee Greenberg said he was alerted to the language by a member of the print media and immediately began investigating. "Appalling, appalling. It's just not the standard. It's not the level of professionalism we demand here," said Greenberg.
The chief said the firefighter made the comment out of frustration over traffic not moving while responding to a crash on County Line Road around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. "Zero tolerance. I mean he was fired basically before he got out of the ambulance, as soon as he got back, he was terminated," said Greenberg.
Greenberg said the firefighter had been with the company a little over a year. "Extremely upset, extremely embarrassed. He's been with us a little over a year, not here too long, very uncharacteristic of him," said Greenberg.
The fire chief’s reaction
What they're saying:
Greenberg said he felt sick to his stomach after hearing the slur on the recording. "It was terrible to hear. This is a gut punch. This is something that will stay with me for a long time," said Greenberg.
He added that the fire company is committed to maintaining community trust. "We are community minded and we're gonna remain that way and we want the community to know we have their best interests in mind. Please don't judge us on one bad apple," said Greenberg.
Fire company responds with new training
The fire company leadership says it has arranged for mandatory sensitivity training for all members and will be holding meetings on standards of professionalism. The goal, according to leadership, is to prevent anything like this from happening again.
The company says everyone works hard to keep the community safe and hopes to move forward after the incident.
What we don't know:
The name of the firefighter has not been released. It is not clear if further disciplinary action or outside investigation will follow.
The Source: Information from Chief Lee Greenberg of Horsham Fire Company #1.