Volunteer Resigns to Avoid Expulsion Over Controversial Paramedic Video in Rockland County

A volunteer from the emergency organization William F. Feist in Rockland County resigned minutes before a scheduled vote to expel him, effectively preventing the official vote and ending his tenure on his own terms. This followed nearly two weeks of public controversy and an internal investigation triggered by a video he recorded and shared on social media. The footage showed a paramedic from the Haredi emergency group Hatzalah parked in a disabled spot outside a store with emergency lights on, sparking widespread criticism and antisemitic backlash against the Jewish community and Hatzalah.

Subsequent fact-checking revealed the paramedic was inside the store providing life-saving treatment to an unconscious child, explaining the emergency parking. Both Feist and the Spring Valley Fire District initiated formal investigations, with the fire district suspending the volunteer from firefighting duties for 30 days while considering further disciplinary action. The volunteer’s video omission of the paramedic’s critical medical intervention intensified public outrage.

The incident occurred last Friday at a Costco in Nanuet, where the paramedic urgently responded to the child’s medical emergency. The case highlights the dangers of sharing social media content without verifying facts, as misinformation can fuel hatred and antisemitism against emergency responders risking their lives. The volunteer’s resignation came during a special evening meeting just before the expulsion vote, allowing him to leave under his own conditions rather than face the organization’s decision. Additional disciplinary measures remain under review by the Spring Valley fire authorities.