FDNY Suspends Officers After Hazing Videos Surface
FDNY has suspended several members and opened an investigation after two videos showing apparent hazing of newly graduated firefighters were shared with the New York Daily News. According to reporting, one video—said to have been recorded at Engine 38/Ladder 51 in the Bronx—shows three firefighters doing pushups while repeatedly smashing their faces into cakes on the floor as an off-camera voice counts. A second video appears to show three uniformed rookies lined up against a wall on a paddleball court, awkwardly shaking hands with and hugging two nude men wearing only shoes. Both clips were reportedly filmed late last week.
The incidents surfaced days after the department’s latest probationary class graduated to firefighter on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn.
An FDNY spokesperson told the Daily News the department “has a zero-tolerance policy against hazing,” adding: “Once the department became aware of the incident, we immediately launched an investigation. Some members have already been suspended, and further action will be taken as the investigation progresses. Hazing of any kind will never be tolerated.”
Department policy prohibits hazing. FDNY first adopted a formal anti-hazing policy in 2013 and later undertook additional reviews of hazing concerns in 2017. More on the story.
