PHILADELPHIA — The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office announced plans to investigate allegations that volunteer firefighters from the Briarcliffe Fire Company used racial slurs and disparaged Black residents in a late-January conversation following a virtual meeting.
The investigation comes at the behest of Darby Township commissioners, who voted to suspend Briarcliffe Fire Company operations Wednesday after learning of a racist conversation, which included one Briarcliffe volunteer allegedly mocking the name of 8-year-old Fanta Bility — a Black child police officers fatally shot outside a high school football game in Sharon Hill.
“Whether or not a crime occurred, hate speech is always morally wrong,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer at a news conference. “It doesn’t reflect the people who live here in Darby Township and it really doesn’t reflect the people who live in Delaware County.”
Briarcliffe firefighters are also allegedly heard discussing how it was time to leave the township because Black residents continue moving into the area. The latest census data estimate 41% of Darby Township’s almost 10,000 residents are Black.
“That is an example of what systemic racism and entrenched racism looks like,” said State Sen. Anthony Williams in a news conference Thursday attended by incensed Darby Township residents and officials, who described the incident as a betrayal of public trust.
Briarcliffe Fire Company members were not immediately available for comment Thursday and the group’s Facebook page appeared to have been deleted.
The Goodwill Fire Company, one of the township’s three volunteer firehouses, provided commissioners with a memo summarizing the almost two-hour extended conversation Wednesday afternoon before the commissioners’ regularly scheduled monthly meeting. According to the summary, the Briarcliffe volunteers use racial slurs when discussing members of Darby Township Station 4, the township’s third volunteer firehouse.
Only a handful of officials have heard the audio recording so far. Still, Township Solicitor Michael Pierce said the commissioners felt the need to act quickly after reading the summary of alleged remarks.
“The commissioners are very concerned about the nature of the allegations about the safety of all the citizens and they felt that it would be best to suspend the operations of that fire company pending an investigation,” said Pierce.
The conversation among the Briarcliffe firefighters took place after volunteers of all three firehouses, commissioners, and the township solicitor went over emergency services and a potential merger of the three fire companies.
“We have public servants who hold these racist ideologies,” said Ashley Dolceamore, cofounder of Delco Resists, who shared the summary of the conversation with media. “It poses a threat to the community. Residents are concerned they will be getting a delayed response because of the color of their skin.”
Late Thursday, Fanta Bility’s family released a statement through their attorney, Bruce Castor. In it, the family called for disciplinary action for those involved in the conversation.
“To speak of her with such disrespect, shines the light of shame on those people at the firehouse making the remarks, and reflects negatively on those good and true first responders who pledge their lives to the service of all members of the community,” the statement said.
Stollsteimer said the investigation will look into whether any criminal activities were connected to the conversation.
Meanwhile, Timothy Boyce, director of Delaware County’s Department of Emergency Services, said there would be no gaps in services as a result of the fire company’s suspension. Fire chiefs from surrounding neighborhoods and mutual aid agreements will cover the areas the Briarcliffe Fire Company would typically respond to.
The commissioners asked the Goodwill Fire Company to provide its recorded evidence within 10 days as part of the investigation. Goodwill Fire Company could not be reached for comment.
