Fire chief to 10 yr old sobbing Black girl as she's loaded into ambulance: "Shut the f*** up!" "Shut your mouth!"

[Demovictory9]

https://atlantablackstar.com/2025/08/09/fire-chief-suspended-after-shocking-footage-shows-him-cursing-at-10-year-old-black-girl/

https://youtube.com/shorts/JRZ2s-3DJn0

‘Completely Unacceptable’: Fire Chief Suspended After Shocking Footage Shows Him Cursing at 10-Year-Old Black Girl Strapped to Gurney, Child’s Grandmother Demands He Be Fired

A fire chief in Long Island, New York, was suspended from his job after disturbing cellphone footage captured him shouting profanities at a young Black girl as she was strapped to a gurney.
“Shut the f*** up! I have to deal with you every f***ing week!” the chief is heard yelling at the crying child while he and other first responders place her in an ambulance.


The 10-year-old child is heard yelling and sobbing, “I don’t want to go!”

“Shut your mouth!” the fire chief yells in response.
“I want to go home!” the girl yells as the first responders roll her into the ambulance.
Authorities have identified the man as North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief Peter Alt.
The fire company confirmed that Alt has been relieved of his duties pending an investigation into the viral video and his conduct, WNBC reported

[Justice Brandeis]

1. Volunteer. not professional

Makes a difference, it seems.

[thucythucy]

4. I think the fire chief is paid staff.

It's rank and file that are volunteers.

At least that's how it worked when I lived in a town with a volunteer FD.

[COL Mustard]

11. Certainly not professional!

Whether paid or not!

[msongs]

2. well that's awful. seems like a job for police not a firetruck tho nt

[TommyT139]

3. More like a mental health crisis team

But those are still rare -- and probably will become even moreso under Trump.

[Hornedfrog2000]

14. Not sure of the circumstances

But we do see the same people over, and over and over. Some dont pay a dime so they call 911 for everything. It is sucking our resources dry, and making people quit. This is a symptom imo. When all the baby boomers are needing medical care in the next 10 years we are going to have really hard decisions to make, because there already isnt enough people to care for all of the people who need care.

Research borderline personality disorder, and see what sort of things they are known for, and what they do. I know of patients who are literally in the hospital every other week, and it burns you out because they come in, and they play games, yes, games. They waste resources, and time while people die on the street. It is unsustainable.

We have people who dump their kids at the hospital on friday nights, and we have people whose sole diagnosis is behavioral, or in other words, they dont belong in the hospital. Yet they are admitted over and over again because providers are scared of being sued.

The hospital is not daycare, we cannot raise your child, we are not a place to take a vacation. Many of these patients exhibit anti social personality traits as well.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

16. When I go to the hospital

I’m either psychotic or facing a trauma related issue that’s severe and my psych program psychologist sets me up to go there.

Last time I went to the er I had fasciitis on my face and under my eye. They spent a day finding an antibiotic that would kill it as it was an unusual bacteria strain. They ended up using 2 different seriously strong antibiotics they had me in in a single room and it took 4 days before it began to go away.

[Hornedfrog2000]

34. That is totally normal, and this should be the case

My favorite patients are psychotic, and no, im not kidding. I just am extremely burnt out on the people who come in, and they have childhood attachment issues, so they do things that absorb all of our time. We are not the place to handle this stuff. I am also talking from Iowa, and we are the worst in the nation for mental health.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

46. I also got dissocitive identity disorder

From trauma I work a lot with my parts. sometimes things are ok. sometimes they start to get weird. When it gets weird like my brain is getting hijacked and I do stuff that normally does not make sense it’s time to go to the hospital.
Last time my doc told me it was my trauma that made me psychotic because I was homeless, scared and didn’t know how to handle it. A few days there they got me back and I made a plan and that led me to where I am now with a cat in my own apartment, going to my program.

Anyways I have noticed a lot of narcissistic types are in the psych wards. They seem to take up all the time. I once stood by the nurses station for 20 minutes to get to take a shower because all the petulant narcissists wouldn’t let the staff breathe I really hate narcissists. Dark triads.

One narcissist tormented me all day it went on for a week. I warned her to leave me alone, I turned back to the staff guy she did it again so I choked her. Not enough to do damage tho.
She never did or said anything to torment me again.people were mad she was stealing thier stuff so I asked everybody what was taken and while she was having a tempertantrum I went into her room and got everybody’s stuff back.
It takes just 1 narcissist to fuck up everything for everybody. Narcissists should be banned from all psych care including psych staff they never get better so why tolerate them? It’s not a mental illness that’s the problem with narcissists it’s who they are and you can’t cure who somebody is.

[TommyT139]

17. A symptom on many levels

Whatever is happening with the child, multiple visits by emergency services indicate that more support -- of whatever kind -- is warranted.

Of course, we don't know from the news item what the whole situation is. In general, diagnoses of BPD in children are rare. And since a major factor in BPD is thought to be childhood trauma, a child of ten is more likely to be dealing with organic disturbances (learning or sensory processing issues, for instance), and/or other forms of trauma or abuse...which being strapped to a gurney while being cursed at wouldn't help.

It is a symptom of a sick society, that more effective structures for mental health and family support are lacking. That puts added burdens on first responders and hospitals - and I agree, all that is teetering on a precipice under this administration.

[Hornedfrog2000]

33. They also do not want to label children too early.

It is trauma, but the only help is therapy, and medications like mood stabilizers. The problem is a lot of it is learned behavior, so when you meet the parents and they are incredibly difficult to deal with as well.

I look at it as a spectrum. There are tons of BPD patients who live their lives completely normal, and have very little issues.

[TommyT139]

37. For sure

I wasn't supporting the BPD dx at all.

[BannonsLiver]

44. Thanks for the insight/perspective

[Lancero]

19. Given how often cops tend to shoot people in these cases, a screaming firefighter is a improvement.

Sad state of affairs, but This is Amerikkka.

[nwduke]

5. No worries

if he gets fired, there’s a place for him in trumps pardoned J6 ice gestopo goon squad!

[JoseBalow]

6. Were all of those people there responding to... a tantrum?

[hamsterjill]

7. I wondered that as well.

I'd also be interested to know how many times the rescue squad has been called to that same residence.

The guy should NOT have said what he said. Full stop. No excuses.

We had a youth with schizophrenia in my neighborhood years ago and the police were constantly being called to his home. They would take him to the 72 hour hold (or whatever the legal amount is), and then he'd be released because his parents wouldn't agree to have him committed, and the cycle just repeated again. I know the police were completely frustrated for having to deal with this individual. Yes, it's their job. But I could understand the frustration.

[Keepthesoulalive]

9. Are we making excuses for an adult cursing at a child

What would happen if the colors were reversed. I don’t give a damn what else may have happened in the past, this is unacceptable coming from any adult. Mainly one who is in a leadership position.

[hamsterjill]

10. I said that in my post.

What part of:

The guy should NOT have said what he said. Full stop. No excuses.

Is unclear?

Take your anger elsewhere. I was describing a situation from my past that this video brought to mind. Are do you just want to argue? Because I'm not in the mood.

[Keepthesoulalive]

12. I responded to I understand their frustration

We do not know the circumstances of her illness mental or otherwise. I don’t care if she was doing the exorcist head spin there was no understanding of his actions. Condemnation is the only response for a helper speaking to a child or adult in that manner. As for hate that’s on you.

[BannonsLiver]

41. Over a cell phone.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. ...

[calimary]

13. Terrible!

Traumatized child. Thuggish grown man. That’s a recipe for longterm disaster.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Notice the grandmother is unquestionably in the right

but still doesn't want her face on camera?

[TommyT139]

18. That's more understandable to me

...than all the other guys being right there are not intervening.

[dsc]

20. Well among other things it would

Blow the child's anonymity

[Paladin]

21. Completely unacceptable. That creep needs to lose his firefighting position.

In a public forum, with lots of media coverage.

[Oopsie Daisy]

22. I'm confused. Why called 911 and why? What was the emergency and why was she taken away?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

24. From another article:

She said the girl had become emotionally overwhelmed after having her phone taken away and that her daughter called the local police, who have always been kind in the past, she said.

“She needed my help and needed my protection, but I wasn’t there,” the grandmother said, “When you call for help — the police, the fire department — they’re supposed to help you. Not treat you like garbage. And curse at a child at that.”

The incident has left neighbors disturbed, especially those familiar with the family.

“That’s not a professional way to deal with people,” said Mark Simms, a neighbor. “I wouldn’t want him to speak to my children like that or anyone in my family. I’d be outraged myself.”

Simms added that while emergency services have been called to the home before, he's never seen a response this aggressive.

“There’s been a few times over the summer where police were called, but they’ve never treated her like that," he said.

[Oopsie Daisy]

25. Ah... thanks for the info. It sounds like she needs help from CPS or another family crisis org.

It appears that her emotional state was well beyond being reasoned with and types of gentle, mild-mannered and soft-spoken negotiations. Shouting at a child and using "curse words" to get their attention would be much preferred than hitting them.

Was she hit, slapped, punched or struck? Was she personally insulted with epithets or the "n-word"? These things remain unclear to me.

Considering the circumstances, I agree it could have been handled better, but this doesn't rise to the level of causing me to be "outraged" or demanding that someone be fired for simply using the "f-word" and telling someone to "shut up".

[WhiskeyGrinder]

27. what the fuck

It appears that her emotional state was well beyond being reasoned with and types of gentle, mild-mannered and soft-spoken negotiations.

You're right, it's extremely difficult to reason with or negotiate with someone in crisis. That doesn't mean the next step is shouting and cursing, particularly from a white man to a Black girl, when the girl is in a vulnerable position and surrounded by other white men.

Shouting at a child and using "curse words" to get their attention would be much preferred than hitting them.

Careful about that low bar on the floor, you might trip on it.

Was she hit, slapped, punched or struck? Was she personally insulted with epithets or the "n-word"? These things remain unclear to me.

Pretttttty sure those would have been reported out if it was known. Do you think a white man in a state position using the n-word on a little Black girl wouldn't be an outrage, because it's better than punching her?

Considering the circumstances, I agree it could have been handled better, but this doesn't rise to the level of causing me to be "outraged" or demanding that someone be fired for simply using the "f-word" and telling someone to "shut up".

If a leader in my community can't interact with someone having a crisis without demeaning them by screaming and cursing at them, bet that I want them out of their job.

[Oopsie Daisy]

30. Oh, hello! Thank you for sharing your opinion.

I'm able to look at the entire situation and the history rather than one word shouted in an effort to snap her back into some semblance of reality. For me, this simply does not rise to the level of overwrought outrage that warrants someone being fired or suspended.

>> If a leader in my community can't interact with someone having a crisis without demeaning them by screaming and cursing at them, bet that I want them out of their job.
Really... community leader? Please. Is this fellow a mental health family crisis counselor? If that's his job title and training level, then maybe we can have a discussion about how he can better handle an individual in emotional crisis. He can't be everything to everybody for every conceivable circumstance and situation. But all this hand-wringing about the fact that he shouted STFU is just OTT.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

31. Hi, you're welcome!

I'm able to look at the entire situation and the history

I mean, you know as little as the rest of us, and has to be pointed in the direction of more information, so “entire situation and history” is a bit of a stretch. What’s clear is this girl’s has been failed many times, and this is the latest in a long line of those failures.

rather than one word shouted in an effort to snap her back into some semblance of reality.

Screaming and swearing isn’t really a great reality to be in, is it? Impatience and contempt an are terrible ways to deal with someone in a crisis.

Really... community leader?

He’s the fire chief. Firefighters regularly poll as some of the most trusted members of the community, and his title “chief” indicates that he is a leader.

Is this fellow a mental health family crisis counselor?

I’d be surprised if he was.

He can't be everything to everybody for every conceivable circumstance and situation

As a first responder, he does have a responsibility to the community he serves. For me, that includes basic courtesy extended to someone in crisis, and certainly a child.

[Scrivener7]

35. Plus, no matter the situation, you just don't say that to a kid.

Honestly, the parsing is ridiculous.

You just don't say that to a kid.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

40. This place blows me away sometimes

[Oopsie Daisy]

38. In the real world he did his best. This outrage is ridiculous.

The crime here is that he's being expected to be everything to everyone at all times in all circumstances. I don't blame him for being impatient and angry. She clearly wasn't going to be reasoned with.

The great effort being spent on splitting hairs and stretching the definition of the duties and job description of a fire chief are truly remarkable to behold. Rather than supporting, it reveals the weakness of the arguments that he should also be the town's mental health team and crisis intervention and family social worker. Please. 🙄

[WhiskeyGrinder]

39. .

In the real world he did his best.

If that is his best, he shouldn't be in a position where he faces people in crisis.

The crime here

Lol speaking of being overwrought...

is that he's being expected to be everything to everyone at all times in all circumstances.

I, personally, am expecting him to do is job as a first responder. To respond to a crisis and not lose his shit.

I don't blame him for being impatient and angry.

Me neither! It's a stressful job. I AM blaming him for how he expressed it.

She clearly wasn't going to be reasoned with.

Because she is a 10-year-old who was in a crisis.

The great effort being spent on splitting hairs and stretching the definition of the duties and job description of a fire chief are truly remarkable to behold. Rather than supporting, it reveals the weakness of the arguments that he should also be the town's mental health team and crisis intervention and family social worker. Please. 🙄

Oh I hope you don't think I was saying he should *also* be the mental health team and so on. Absolutely not! He's the fire chief, who oversees crews responding to crises. If someone is screaming and crying while their home burns and the chief walks over and screams "get a fucking hold of yourself," I think people would have a problem with that, don't you?

[Oopsie Daisy]

43. I will not fault him. He deserves much more consideration that he's being given.

Yes, she was in crisis, and he's not a crisis counsellor. It's pure fantasy that anyone would expect him to perform those duties.

>> If someone is screaming and crying while their home burns and the chief walks over and screams "get a fucking hold of yourself," I think people would have a problem with that, don't you?
Speculative fiction. He didn't do that, did he? Ridiculous!

>> To respond to a crisis and not lose his shit.
He was responding. He didn't lose his shit... only his critics are "losing their shit" because he dropped an F-bomb. Boo fucking hoo... he said "fuck" to a 10 year old who has probably never ever heard the word in her entire life! Oh my god! She's ruined for life! Someone said "fuck" out loud in her presence.

GMAFB!

[RandiFan1290]

23. Typical coward and racist scumbag.

They feel comfortable raging on women and children.

[OC375]

26. Wrong Number

Don’t call police and fire when your 10 year old goes into smartphone withdrawal. They aren’t mental health people and you won’t get what you need. They have specialized skills like everyone else in modern society. Mental health isn’t it, and the expectation it is helps no one. Sounds like no winners in this story, least of all the sick girl.

[democratsruletheday]

29. I agree OC....

it's obvious to me that they did indeed call the wrong number as you said. Does NOT excuse what he said...he obviously lost his shit but like you point out they aren't mental health experts and now he'll lose his job as a result of this cluster eff. Thing is, he won't get another job in that arena either. He's DONE as of today and will most likely try to switch careers at middle age: stiff price to pay for what he said but that's the deal.

[Scrivener7]

36. And yet ... you just don't say that to a kid.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

28. Wanna bet that Fire Chief considers himself to be a "good Christian".

Where in the New Testament, not the Old Testament, does Jesus Christ preach about treating people in that manner?

Long Island is predominantly Republican if I am not mistaken.

[SkylineChili]

32. No excuse and wrong call

No excuse for his actions and words. Period.

From the article, emergency services have been there before, including several times this summer, and at one point he says "I deal with you every week." If a 10 year old goes into an uncontrollable tantrum over having a cell phone taken away the correct response isn't to call 911. If the family is using emergency services for discipline and behavior modification that they can't or won't handle themselves, that isn't right or fair to emergency services--or to other people in the community whose life-threatening injury or emergency could be delayed because of calls like this. Was she threatening someone with a weapon? Had she hurt the Grandmother? That might be different. But "She's having a tantrum and won't calm down..." Get tools to deal with her if she's entitled and spoiled. Get her diagnosed if needed and learn how to de-escalate. Don't expect the Volunteer Fire Department to be your mental health and parenting guides. Cannot imagine what she will be like at 18.

[Demovictory9]

45. There is a documentary about 911 being called for everything..i think it was focused on urban California

Basically it was about people using 911 for their everything.

One mother stood by while the fire/emt personnel gave her pouty 8 year old a talking to about being naughty.

Other cases, the ill person should have taken a taxi or caught a ride to the doctor.

[republianmushroom]

42. Should be fired.