#Long Island fire truck displaying Confederate flag sparks outrage

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A Brookhaven Fire Department truck in Suffolk County had a Confederate flag draped down its left side.
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A Long Island fire truck was decorated with a Confederate flag for a drive-by event — sparking outrage and condemnation from local officials over the weekend.

The truck, from the volunteer Brookhaven Fire Department in Suffolk County, had the flag draped down its left side, according to a photo posted to social media Sunday.

“This is disgraceful and blatantly racist, and has no place in our communities Brookhaven Fire Department,” raged local activist and former town supervisor candidate Will Ferraro on Facebook.

“(You do realize New York fought against the confederacy, right?)” Ferraro wrote. “Also want to note that Brookhaven FD is the volunteer fire dept from the hamlet of Brookhaven, not affiliated with the Town of Brookhaven. But if you are a home owner in Brookhaven hamlet, your tax dollars pay for the FD!”

The truck was part of a drive-by event to support a longtime Patchogue firefighter battling cancer, Newsday said. 

The head of the Brookhaven Fire Department issued a statement later Sunday insisting, “The incident involved a sole firefighter acting alone, during a non-response event.

“The unauthorized action was done without the knowledge of our leadership and is condemned in the strongest terms,” wrote Chief of Department Peter Di Pinto Jr.

“The strength of our community has always come from its diversity and our department has always sought to be inclusive,” he said.

“We can assure our community that ‘Racism has no home in our Firehouse.’

“To our community, our fellow Firefighters and EMS members, we apologize and can assure you that disciplinary action for this matter has already commenced.’’

Facebook lit up over the issue, with many commenters outraged over the flag’s display on the truck.

“This warrants full investigation!!!! For the first time in my life I am ashamed to be a member of this community!” a woman wrote Ferraro.

Still, there were supporters of the flag, with one person writing, “I don’t see nothing wrong with this.”