A Long Island police chief has been stripped of his duties after screaming at a young girl to ‘shut the f**k up’ while she was loaded into the fire truck on a stretcher.
In a TikTok video uploaded on Monday, North Babylon Fire Chief Peter Alt berated and hurled obscenities at the 10-year-old girl while she was being strapped onto a stretcher.
‘Shut the f**k up! It’s like this with you every f**king week!’ Alt shouted at the child.
As the young girl pleaded with the fire department ‘I don’t want to go! I want to go home,’ Alt responded ‘Shut your mouth!’
Alt’s outburst came after the girl’s family called emergency services for help with calming the child down, her grandmother told NBC New York.
The girl allegedly became emotionally overwhelmed after her phone was taken away, so another family member called the police, who had been kind to them in the past.
A concerned neighbor saw the verbal altercation and began recording.
The child’s grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was not there when the incident took place, but that she was ‘devastated’ by how the chief handled her granddaughter.
North Babylon Fire Chief Peter Alt (pictured) was caught on camera hurling obscenities at the young girl
‘Maybe it was a blessing I wasn’t there because I would have jumped all over this guy,’ she told the outlet.
‘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 North Babylon Fire Company issued a response soon after, condemning Alt’s behavior as ‘unacceptable’ and saying they don’t condone it.
‘We have become aware of an incident which occurred last night, August 4, 2025 between a member of the North Babylon Fire Company and a minor during an aided call wherein the member is alleged to have used inappropriate language toward the minor,’ the statement read.
Alt was ‘relieved of all of his duties pending a full and thorough investigation,’ according to the press release, which promised that ‘appropriate action will be taken.’
The press release provided little comfort to residents who expressed concern over the incident.
‘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.’
The neighbor said that emergency services have been called to this house before, but they’ve never responded with such aggression.
‘There’s been a few times over the summer where police were called, but they’ve never treated her like that,’ he said.
Other neighbors are glad the incident was captured on video, so that the chief’s behavior can be appropriately addressed.
A TikTok video uploaded on Monday shows a 10-year-old girl being told to ‘shut the f**k up’ by the fire chief
Comments on the TikTok video expressed outrage over the chief’s outburst.
One user called out the other responders’ reaction, ‘The SILENCE of those other “men” is almost worse. Outrageous!’
‘SILENCE IS COMPLIANCE. The others should feel ashamed for not standing up for that child,’ another agreed.
Another TikTok account said, ‘This is how chief Peter alt of north Babylon fire department speaks to a young girl in an emergency with zero compassion why is he employed???’
