Alameda Co. fire chief condemns firefighter seen in viral video making racial slurs

DUBLIN, Calif. (KGO) -- The Alameda County fire chief spoke out Monday morning after a viral video surfaced showing one of their firefighters making racial slurs.

"The firefighter was off duty at the time of the incident," said Alameda County Fire Chief William McDonald. "It's come to our attention that some language was used during the interaction that does not align with the values and standards we uphold as an organization. Such behavior is not representative of who we are or the department or our values we strive to embody every day."

The Fire Chief apologized for the firefighter's actions and said it doesn't reflect their dedication to integrity, professionalism, and community trust.

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He said that the firefighter, who they are not naming, is on paid administrative leave while they investigate what happened.

Vath Touch said a crash in Lodi Friday sparked the incident. He said he's suffering from lower back pain and has an injury lawyer.

"I'd like to say .. everybody gets respected not just browns, blacks, yellow, purple," Touch said. "It doesn't matter. We all need to get respected. We're living together. We're not living apart. We're all living together."

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The Fire Chief said they're taking immediate steps to improve their relationship with the community such as outreach and that they're improving sensitivity training for members of the department.

He said the firefighter has been working there for about 20 years, adding that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken depending on the outcome of the investigation.

He said employees have a philosophy document the department has adopted which includes their values.