Alameda County firefighter caught making racist rant in TikTok video placed on administrative leave

( KRON ) — An Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) firefighter was caught on video in a racist tirade against a community member in San Joaquin County. The incident was caught on camera and posted on TikTok Friday.

ACFD confirmed that the incident happened and will conduct an internal investigation, the department said in a statement released Sunday night.

“It has come to our attention that some language was used during this interaction that does not align with the values and standards we uphold as an organization,” ACFD said.

On Monday, Alameda County FD officials confirmed that the firefighter was off duty when the incident occurred.

The firefighter, who officials declined to identify, was placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation into the incident ensues. Alameda County FD Fire Chief William McDonald said the firefighter’s behavior was “not representative” of the organization and that he had spoken to the firefighter and admonished him.

Chief McDonald said the firefighter, who is a 20-year veteran, was “disappointed in himself” for having been involved in the incident. Following an investigation, McDonald said the appropriate actions will be taken and that termination was a possibility.

The chief said he was not aware of any prior complaints or investigations involving the firefighter.

According to the four-minute video, the firefighter and the community member were involved in a car crash on a highway in the county just outside the Bay Area. The TikTok user who posted the video said the incident happened in or around Lodi.

The ACFD firefighter appeared to be upset about the collision and grew angry at the community member — prompting the ensuing racist rant.

“The cops are definitely coming,” the unidentified firefighter said. “Dumb*** Mexican or whatever the f*** you are, Filipino… What are you?”

The community member replied to the firefighter, “Don’t be racist bro. Don’t be racist.”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m a racist, I’m a (expletive) firefighter,” the ACFD employee said around the 1:20 mark of the video. “You’re going to be waiting for your (expletive) 10-dollar-an-hour job (expletive).

The firefighter then labeled the victim as someone who “works some (expletive) lawn job.” Around the 2:25 mark of the video, the firefighter also called the community member a “Filipino (expletive).”

As of Sunday night, the video has garnered more than 69,000 views on TikTok . The circumstances surrounding the crash are unknown at this time.

Our department is committed to gathering all the facts and we are addressing this situation in a manner that reflects our dedication to integrity, professionalism, and community trust.  Our goal is to ensure that we continue to serve our community with the highest level of respect, both on and off duty

Alameda County Fire Chief William McDonald

The video was aggregated by one YouTube user and appears to show the firefighter wearing an ACFD t-shirt.

KRON4 reached out to CHP Stockton and left a voicemail. We are waiting to hear back and gather more information about the traffic collision leading up to the verbal exchange.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.