Alameda County firefighter temporarily suspended for racist remarks while off-duty

A video of an Alameda County firefighter directing racist comments to a driver during a heated exchange has been circulating on social media, leading to the firefighter’s temporary suspension.

After a car crash in Lodi, the off-duty firefighter walked up to the other driver’s window and accused the driver of not letting him pass on the freeway. He proceeded to call the driver a “dumb ass Mexican” and “f—ing Filipino b—” among other inflammatory comments in a three-minute long exchange that the driver recorded last week.

The driver, Vath Touch, called the firefighter racist and urged him to let the police handle the situation. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I’m not f—ing racist, I’m a firefighter,” the man responded.

Alameda County Fire Chief William McDonald confirmed at a press conference Monday that the man in the video was an Alameda County firefighter who has been placed on administrative leave.

A spokesperson for the fire department said it would not disclose the identity of the firefighter at this time.

The investigation is ongoing and will determine if the firefighter, who has been with the organization since 2004, will face further consequences beyond administrative leave, McDonald said.

“Such behavior is not representative of who we are as a department or our values we strive to embody every day,” he said. “I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of the firefighter and our department for his actions.”

The fire department is currently assessing sensitivity training and guidance for personnel, McDonald added.

The video on TikTok has since been viewed more than 500,000 times.