A Long Island, New York fire chief has been suspended after a video of him hurling obscenities at a 10-year-old girl strapped to a stretcher went viral. The incident has since sparked anger and an official investigation.
The man shouting was later identified as Peter Alt, chief of the North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company.
“Shut the [expletive] up! It’s like this with you every [expletive] week!” were the remarks hurled at a crying child, as captured on cellphone video shared on the NBC10 News platform.
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The video, taken by a concerned neighbor, showed the little girl sobbing and constantly saying that she wants to go home.
“I don’t want to go!” shrieked the little girl, adding “I want to go home!”
“Shut your mouth!” the man could be heard shouting back at her.
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After the neighbor’s video was shared on social media, the North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company stated that Alt had been stripped of his duties pending an investigation, noting, “This conduct is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our department.”
Although the child’s grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, was not there at the house when the incident happened, she said she was heartbroken upon seeing the recording.
“Maybe it was a blessing I wasn’t there,” she told NBC10 News, “because I would have jumped all over this guy.”
She explained the girl became extremely upset after having her phone taken away, and that her daughter contacted the local police, who have always been friendly in the past.
“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 grandmother insists that there must be more accountability.
“He doesn’t need to lead anybody or anything,” she said. “He needs to be fired.”
The incident has caused concern among neighbors, particularly those who know the family.
Mark Simms, a neighbor, commented, “That’s not a professional way to interact with people. I wouldn’t want him to speak to my children like that or anyone in my family. I’d be outraged myself.”
Simms went on to say that while emergency services had been called to the house before, he had never witnessed such an aggressive response.
“There’s been a few times over the summer where police were called, but they’ve never treated her like that,” he said.
Residents are expressing gratitude to the witness, who chose not to be interviewed but did record the event, for exposing the behavior.
“Shout out to the neighbor who took the video,” one resident said. “But that is completely unacceptable. Completely.”
Meanwhile, the North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company is reviewing its policies and procedures to determine whether they need to be modified.
The town of Babylon is also conducting its own investigation into the incident.
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