By Abigail Tucker, PsyD, ABPP
The recent video of a New York volunteer fire chief yelling profanities at a 10-year-old during an emergency call is painful to watch. For the child and her family, the moment was frightening and deeply personal. For the community, it was shocking to see a trusted public safety leader act in a way that felt aggressive and demeaning.
And for the first responders standing nearby — shoulder to shoulder with the chief—it was a moment where intervention could have changed the course of events.
As a psychologist who trains emergency responders in active bystandership — the practical skill set behind stepping in when a peer’s actions are escalating toward harm — I see this not just as an incident to condemn, but as a call to re-examine how we prepare our emergency responders for these moments.
Empathy for all involved
It is possible to feel compassion for everyone in this story without excusing what happened.
The child was scared, overwhelmed and vulnerable.
Her family was navigating a situation that had already reached a level of stress resulting in an emergency call.
Neighbors witnessed something that seemed to violate the values they expect from public servants.
And the fire chief was likely under pressure in the moment, perhaps frustrated by repeated calls to the same address, and responded in a manner that crossed a professional and human boundary.
First responders are not immune to human emotion. Fatigue, frustration and burnout are real. But public safety work demands that we manage those emotions in the service of care and safety. When we fail, the consequences can ripple far beyond the moment.
The untapped power of peers in the moment
In the video, multiple responders were present. They were in a position of proximity and authority. This matters because, in situations where harm is escalating, peers often have more power than they realize to interrupt it.
A peer stepping in might have looked like a gentle, but firm redirection: “Chief, I’ve got this,” or “Let’s take a breather.” It could have been a subtle hand on the arm or even taking over the interaction with the patient. These small acts can defuse a situation and prevent harm.
But here’s the reality: knowing when and how to intervene — especially with someone senior, respected or who may be part of a different agency than you — can be intimidating, not instinctive. Social psychology helps us understand the many factors all humans face when challenged with an escalating need to intervene. It requires skills, confidence and a culture that says, “We back each other up, even if it means stepping in.”
Most first responders have been taught, in some form, that they have a duty to intervene if a peer is acting in a way that could cause harm. However, policy statements and legal language alone do not adequately prepare people for the complexity of implementing it in real life.
Active bystandership is about bridging that gap with intentional training:
- Normalizing intervention as part of teamwork and professionalism, not as betrayal
- Building skills for reading situations early, before harm escalates
- Providing strategies for intervening up, down and across the chain of command
We know from research, including the work of Dr. Ervin Staub on the psychology of bystanders, that people are more likely to act when they feel competent, supported and certain that intervention is expected and valued. Without those elements, even the most well-intentioned responder can freeze.
Moving forward after this incident
For the North Babylon Volunteer Fire Company, reviewing policies and procedures is a start. But the deeper work is building a culture where any responder — regardless of rank — would feel both empowered and responsible to intervene in a moment like this.
That means:
- Training all members, from volunteers to paid staff, as well as new team members and chiefs, in the skills of active bystandership
- Encouraging leaders to talk openly about times they’ve been intervened on — or times they wish someone had stepped in
- Integrating peer intervention into after-action reviews so it becomes part of the operational language
A human profession, a higher standard
We need to acknowledge that first responders are human and will make mistakes. But we also must hold the line that those mistakes can cause deep harm — and that we have tools to prevent them. This incident is a reminder that every responder has two roles on every call:
- Serve the public with care, professionalism and respect
- Look out for their peers — and be willing to step in if a peer’s actions risk harm
Active bystandership isn’t about judgment — it’s about preventing harm to the public, fellow responders and the EMS profession. It recognizes the human challenges of intervening while upholding the integrity that protects and serves the community. One of the best ways agencies can honor their people is by giving them the skills and knowledge to fulfill the duty they already carry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abigail Tucker, PsyD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and cofounder of Heroes Active Bystandership Trainer for Emergency Responders.
