At a time where (for a variety of reasons) firefighters need the support and trust of firefighters, we lose out again. By now, you have hopefully heard about the graphic video of a young woman who was killed in a crash and her final moments, filmed by an on-duty Spalding County, Ga., firefighter at the scene who posted it on the Internet. We have no doubt he regrets it now, but consider the damage, the laws, and the potential civil suit for damages.
In short, last July, the parents found out that their 23-year-old daughter had died in a serious car crash, in which her SUV flipped on a Georgia road and crashed into trees. Naturally, the couple were thrown into unbelievable life-long grief, but months later their grief reached new levels when they were e-mailed a video of their child’s crash scene. A relative had seen the video posted online and felt he needed to forward it to her father.
On the video, a firefighter can actually be heard reacting to the scene, saying, “Hold that down for me. That’s really bad. Oh my God.” According to the local Spalding County Sheriff’s office, a firefighter filmed the scene with his personal cell phone and took it to a bar where he shared it.
The video spread online, and eventually made its way back to the victim’s family. The family says the video even catches one firefighter asking another to help him create better lighting for the video.
The family further questions that if the FF had time to take video, could they have better spent that time saving her life? A valid question.
Officials in the area are investigating but according to the current laws on the books, the video may not be illegal because the firefighter was using his personal cell phone and did not purposefully release the video to the press. Well -- that depends.
A few quick thoughts
Generally, it is better to just not photograph any scene you are working on or assigned to.
Determine what your FD policy is, because:
- You may not necessarily have the right to photograph or video anything when on duty.
- In some states, a firefighter using personally owned equipment (cell phone, etc.) while in the line of duty no longer has personal rights to the equipment, the pictures or video -- it becomes public property, and is then subject to public and media requests.
- Never photograph victims. Ever. Never. Don’t.
- Only photograph what you are authorized to by the IC, by policy, and based upon state and local laws.
- Turn over any authorized videos or photos to your OIC so they may be used for firefighter training purposes.
The public trusts us, more that ANY other public agency. When things like the above occur, it not only hurts those involved and their family members, but it affects the public’s trust of firefighters anywhere.
More on this issue and related ones here from Dave Statter.
