The Command Post Podcast: No one on-scene, you're off-duty: Do you stop?

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This week, hosts Lt. Rom Duckworth and Chief Rob Wylie discuss the age-old battle of cops versus firefighters. In a recent article, two FDNY EMTs had to physically intervene to stop police officers from beating a handcuffed emotionally disturbed patient.

"It has nothing to do with police versus firefighters," Chief Wylie said. "You're put into those high-stress situations, which just magnifies it. And just by virtue by the fact that you're public safety officials, it makes the news and gets blown out of proportion."

They also talk about guidelines for off-duty response in their frontline tactical tips segment.

"If you decide you're not going to stop, can you live with that if you find out there was a bad outcome and you maybe could have made a difference?" Chief Wylie asks. "You may have had a great reason for not stopping and that's between you and only you."

Their leadership lessons segment explains how fire chiefs and company officers can prepare their crews to act appropriately in the public eye.

"You can't prevent people from filming you in a public area, but what you can do is be more proactive in terms of hiring the right people," Lt. Duckworth said. "There's always the risk of something being taken out of context, but look at this as an opportunity for people to see your fire department applying customer service."

Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:

EMTs: We stopped cops from beating disturbed patient on stretcher

Police vs. fire: The curse of the TIMIS

A good list: What police can and can't do at a fire

Off-duty firefighter rescues man from submerged car

Video: Off-duty firefighter, son save neighbor from house fire

Off-duty dispatcher saves 2 as fire engulfs home

All the fire service is a stage; act accordingly

Minn. man on trial for filming police, medics with patient