A high-ranking Pennsylvania fire official faces multiple criminal charges following an investigation into his credentials and driving record.
According to PennLive, Steven Bartholomew, 55, of Harrisburg, has been charged with seven counts of forgery, 10 counts of recklessly endangering another person, and 10 counts of driving without a license after operating fire trucks and rescue vehicles without proper authorization.
The investigation revealed that between January 21 and November 13, Bartholomew repeatedly drove Paxtang Fire Company vehicles despite lacking a valid driver's license. Swatara Township Police investigators were unable to verify his claims of holding a valid commercial driver's license in Maryland or any other state.
Fraudulent Documentation Exposed
When applying for membership at the Paxtang Fire Company in June 2023, Bartholomew provided false information regarding an Arkansas driver's license. The license he claimed would expire in March 2024 had actually expired in March 2020. This discovery led to further scrutiny of his credentials.
Police investigation uncovered seven fraudulent training certificates allegedly from the University of Maryland's Fire and Rescue Institute. These documents showed inconsistencies in formatting, fonts, and dates. Some courses listed were either canceled, nonexistent, or had no record of Bartholomew's participation.
The fire company's president, Gavid Ford, admitted to investigators that he had trusted the forged documents when validating Bartholomew's qualifications for a supervisory position. In response, Paxtang Borough released a statement questioning Ford's competency as president.
Ongoing Legal Battle
The borough's statement emphasized their concerns about the situation. As shared by Paxtang Borough:
The continued reckless and unaccountable actions by the Fire Company are the reasons why the Borough officials have been seeking to eject the Fire Company from the Paxtang Municipal Building to provide relief to the Borough Taxpayer.
This incident adds to the fire company's existing troubles. Paxtang Borough terminated its agreement with Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 in August 2022, replacing their services with Swatara Township Fire and Rescue. The company was later suspended in January 2023 after refusing to remove its fire chief, who faced separate theft accusations.
The situation escalated in June 2024 when borough officials demanded the fire company vacate the municipal building. Despite these orders, the company continued operations, leading to the current investigation of Bartholomew.
Legal Proceedings Underway
The borough is now seeking immediate judicial action to prevent Bartholomew from accessing the Municipal Building or participating in fire company activities. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for January, coinciding with a trial regarding the fire company's continued use of the municipal building.
The recklessly endangering charges stem from Bartholomew's supervision of firefighters and civilians while lacking proper qualifications. This created potential safety risks during emergency responses.
Local authorities continue to investigate the case, with Lt. Timothy Shatto of Swatara Police accepting additional information from the public.
Critical Developments in Fire Service Crisis
Steven Bartholomew, the former Paxtang Fire Company captain, faces multiple criminal charges for operating emergency vehicles without proper licensing and submitting forged training certificates. The case has prompted Paxtang Borough to seek immediate judicial intervention to bar him from the Municipal Building and fire company activities.
The incident has intensified the ongoing conflict between Paxtang Borough and its former fire company, with a trial scheduled for January 2025 to resolve the dispute over the fire company's continued occupation of the municipal building despite multiple evacuation notices.
