Confederate Flag Hung From Long Island Fire Truck

BROOKHAVEN, NY — A Confederate flag hung from a Long Island fire truck sparked outage Sunday.

The truck from the Brookhaven Fire Department, which serves Brookhaven hamlet and parts of Shirley, Bellport and Yaphank, was photographed with the controversial flag on its side. The photo has been shared hundreds of times on social media.

"The unauthorized action was done without the knowledge of our leadership team and is condemned in the strongest of terms," Brookhaven fire Chief Peter Di Pinto Jr. said in a statement.

Di Pinto said the flag was hung by "a single firefighter, acting alone, during a non-response event." The firefighter is being disciplined, he said.

Brookhaven municipal officials condemned the display of the flag and called for the fire department to take "serious action."

"Brookhaven Town has been built upon a history of inclusion and diversity," Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and the town board said in a statement. "Our cemeteries contain the graves of men who gave their lives fighting against this flag. This flag is a symbol of hatred, and there is no place for it, or the racism it displays, in our town."