Kaylyn Greene

pennlive.com

(TNS)

During an emergency meeting Monday night, the Steelton Volunteer Fire board of directors and its president discussed clarifying where and how AI images depicting former Battalion Chief Kyle Sultzaberger with what appeared to be nooses that spread across social media.

The chair of the fire department board, Maria Marcinko, told PennLive the images were created by a current member of the fire department via Snapchat.

Marcinko did not name the current member responsible but said the department would deal with the issue internally via the department’s “bylaws, policies, and procedures.”

In the photos, pretzels could be seen in buckets on the ground, and four oval-shaped figures hanging from garages in the background were widely presumed to be nooses, leading to concerns that the photos contained racist imagery.

The former battalion chief can also be seen holding a “Make Steelton Great Again” sign while surrounded by cigarettes on the ground.

Marcinko confirmed that the photos did not contain any nooses and the images seen in the background were pretzels with salt on them. She said the commentary had been disappointing to the department and its board.

“I don’t know if they were trying to promote some type of violence or derogatory comments about this department,” Marcinko said. “We take that very seriously because these men and women have to protect this borough.”

In a press release, the department said a former member shared a few of the photos. The former member was not named in the release.

“Additionally, several of the social media posts were made by a former member of the Steelton Volunteer Fire Department who is no longer in good standing,” the release said. “Any further action regarding these social media posts and related allegations will be left to the injured party involved, who have the right to pursue any legal remedies they deem appropriate.”

She confirmed that Sultzaberger’s likeness was used in the photos, but clarified that he had “nothing to do” with the photos or their generation.

Sultzaberger is no longer a battalion fire chief, and Marcinko said the future of Sultzaberger’s membership in the fire department will be handled within a week’s time.

According to City Council Chair Denae House, the city council removed the councilmember from his leadership position for racial stereotyping, insubordination and having a threatening conversation with his superior.

Another issue the department is dealing with is the fallout from the recent revelation that current Battalion Chief Chris Jowers was convicted in New York in 1997 of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse.

Marcinko declined to comment on the chief, but made it clear that they are in good standing with the department. They said that anyone who serves the borough has passed all of the necessary hurdles to be accepted, including a National Crime Information Center check, as well as child clearances, before even meeting with the department.

“There is nobody here that is on Megan’s Law registry,” Marcinko said. “Are there members with criminal histories? Yes, but not anything to bar them if they have their clearances.”

In the press release, the department made it clear that it will take the necessary steps to ensure the fire department remains committed to protecting public safety as well as the safety of its members.

“This situation highlights the serious risks associated with the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media platforms, including Facebook, Snapchat, and others,” the release said. “False or misleading information can spread rapidly, causing harm to individuals, damaging reputations, and creating unnecessary division within our community.”

“We want to assure the public that these incidents do not represent the values, integrity, or professionalism of the Steelton Volunteer Fire Department,” the release continued. “We remain fully committed to serving our community with transparency, accountability, and trust.”

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