'He failed her,' mother of LI girl says of North Babylon fire chief Peter Alt, who allegedly verbally abused 10-year-old girl in incident caught on video

A 10-year-old West Babylon girl is traumatized after a fire chief allegedly was recorded cursing and verbally abusing her while guiding her into an ambulance after her family called 911 to report the child was in distress, family members said Wednesday.

"He was supposed to protect her and help her, not verbally abuse her and he failed her," said the girl's mother, who is withholding her name to protect her daughter's identity. "And she will lose faith in police and fire department and will be scared now. At no point should a child or human be spoken to like that ever."

A video that went viral on social media Monday appears to show North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company Chief Peter Alt lashing out at the child, who is heard whimpering on a gurney during the emergency response. The company confirmed in an email that Alt has been stripped of his duties amid an investigation.

As the backlash widened, incident has had wider implications for Alt, prompting a probe from Babylon Town officials, and a review from the agency where he has been employed for 12 years.

Alt, a conductor with the Long Island Rail Road, "is being withheld from duty pending full review of the situation," Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesperson David Steckel said in an email.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, at the West Babylon street lined with split-level ranch houses, the girl remained secluded inside her home, according to the child’s grandmother, who requested anonymity to protect the identity of the child. "She didn’t want to go to school today. She has anxiety. She will need therapy."

She said her granddaughter, a rising fifth-grader, will need sustained counseling to deal with the treatment she endured during a vulnerable moment.

She questioned whether her granddaughter was treated that way because she is Black. The mother was inside the home talking to police on the phone when first responders arrived Monday, the grandmother said. Mother issued her statement about the encounter on Wednesday morning.

Rev. Saba Mchunguzi, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Central Long Island Branch, said he was outraged about the incident and believes that race may have played a role.

"It was totally uncalled for. There was nothing she did. We don’t think the same thing would have been done if the girl had been white," Mchunguzi said in a phone interview.

Suffolk police were seen stopping by the scene twice Wednesday to diffuse any potential issues between the child’s family and a neighbor who purportedly shot the video.

In the video posted online, Alt is seen wheeling the child on the gurney into the ambulance and yelling, "Shut the [expletive]up," as members of his fire company as well as the Suffolk County Police department assist in moving the gurney. The girl is heard crying out, "I don’t want to and Alt then hurls another expletive at her." Alt then allegedly orders her to "Shut your mouth."

The girl also tells the first responders, "I want to go home." He curses at her again in a phrase that’s not entirely audible. The Suffolk County Police department said in a statement they had responded to the call of the girl in distress.

The police officers alerted their supervisors about what transpired, according to a statement released by Suffolk police. Internal Affairs was also notified who then consulted with Babylon Town officials, police said.

"The Suffolk County Police Department does not condone the actions of the North Babylon fire chief," a Suffolk police statement reads.

The Babylon Town Attorney’s Office and Public Safety Department are also investigating, according to Ryan Bonner, Babylon Town spokesman.

"They have been in contact with the Fire Company’s legal department and requested that they take disciplinary action and review their training standards to ensure that this incident does not happen in the future," Bonner said in an email.

"The use of demeaning and inappropriate language by a first responder during an aided call is appalling and completely at odds with the standards of dignity, respect, and professionalism our residents deserve," Bonner's statement says.

The North Babylon fire company will decide whether additional training is needed after reviewing its training and procedures, the fire company’s executive board said in a release posted on the company’s official Facebook page. The board was looking into allegations that "inappropriate language," was used against a minor, and would act following the investigation, according to the release.

"The Fire Company does not condone this behavior and deems it unacceptable," the release stated.

Robert Leonard, a spokesman with the Albany-based Firefighters Association of the State of New York, represents thousands of volunteer firefighters statewide, who he said are often called to serve in stressful circumstances.

"First responders should be part of the solution and seek to de-escalate challenging conditions," Leonard said in an email.

News of the incident left several of the child’s neighbors stunned, some of whom condemned the behavior caught on camera.

"My grandmother’s here, what if I were to call the EMS or something for her, is that the service I can expect, hopefully not," said Islip resident Mark Simms, whose parents live a few houses away from where the incident took place.

He said he’s had positive dealings with first responders in the past, making it even more surprising. "The fact that it can happen is still ... shocking."

Newsday's Aidan Johnson contributed to this story.

By Lorena Mongelli

lorena.mongelli@newsday.com

Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.