Second Paxtang, PA, Firefighter Charged with Forging Training Documents

A Harrisburg man who worked with two local fire departments was charged with forging firefighting training certificates on Thursday, according to a police report.

Kyle Walcott, 44, of Harrisburg, was charged with 16 counts of forgery after police said he falsified training certificates from the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute.

Representatives from the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute confirmed Walcott’s certificates were fraudulent, according to the police report.

Another Harrisburg man, 55-year-old Steven Bartholomew, was previously charged with forging certifications from the University of Maryland as well. He was charged with seven counts of forgery, 10 counts of recklessly endangering another person and 10 counts of driving without a license in December 2024.

Walcott used the forged certificates to work as a volunteer firefighter with Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 and the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department, police said.

Bartholomew drove fire vehicles owned and operated by the Paxtang Fire Company without a valid driver’s license to emergency and non-emergency incidents from January to November 2024, according to police.

He also served as captain for the fire company, which had been suspended months earlier by Paxtang Borough.

Police said Bartholomew created seven fraudulent training certificates from the University of Maryland’s Fire and Rescue Institute to make it seem that he had completed advanced firefighting training.

Jeremy A. Saul, fire chief of Paxtang Fire Company No. 1, issued a statement Thursday evening regarding Walcott and Bartholomew.

“Through falsified documents and deceptive claims, Mr. Kyle Walcott and Mr. Steven Bartholomew joined our ranks, purporting to be highly trained professionals willing to volunteer in service to communities of Paxtang and Middletown,” the statement said. “Upon uncovering these fraudulent actions, we immediately collaborated with local law enforcement to investigate the matter thoroughly.”

Following an internal investigation, the Middletown Fire Department revoked Walcott’s membership before he resigned from the Paxtang Fire Company, according to police.

Walcott is still awaiting scheduling for his preliminary hearing. Bartholomew, however, did not appear for his first court appearance last month.

Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 has been at the forefront of recent issues after the borough voted in 2022 to use Swatara Township Fire Rescue as its primary fire service provider.

The borough also suspended Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 in 2023 after the agency refused to sideline its former chief, who was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an unrelated HVAC job.

After ending their agreement with the fire company, Paxtang officials issued a cease and desist letter evicting the Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 from the borough municipal building and threatening to arrest members for “impersonating a public servant” if they continued to respond to emergencies.

A jury ultimately settled the issue in January after ruling Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 was allowed to stay in the municipal building and was not required to pay rent.

Thursday’s statement from Paxtang Fire Company No. 1 addressed some of the recent drama.

“We acknowledge the heightened scrutiny our organization has faced from the Borough Council in recent months,” the statement said. “We share the community’s concerns and are taking proactive steps to restore trust and integrity within our fire company.”

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