Public Relations, you're doing it wrong

[ERDoc]

[scubanurse]

I also find it odd to see EMS providers wearing shorts on a scene like this...

[island emt]

It's long Island Kate. They do things differently out there.

If he had a problem with someone taking video , you would have thought it would have been before they wheeled the Pt by.

[scubanurse]

weird warm weathered people...

[Just Plain Ruff]

Kind of makes you wonder how he became chief?????

[Secouriste]

His reaction his maybe a bit aggressive, but there's no way someone would ever film my patient.

It's funny, i was on a big first aid post during a sport event. We were 15 EMTs working there. A guy pulled out a camera near the entrance of our post, and suddenly he was surrounded by 5 EMTs asking what he was doing. No tension, just politely asking: "May I help you?" which in our language means "Get the hell out!".

People are just too curious and instead of asking questions, which we would gladly answer, they just go take a look.

On a big public event, we constantly repel people off our working area and at the end of the day, we get a bit rough I admit...

[MikeEMT]

I don't see any issue with this. He did not smack the camera away he covered it with his hands. The photographer also undoubtedly said something to promote the swear.

You don't take photos of my patient. I will warn you once. Violate that and you will be talking to PD. The "crime scene tape" doesn't make it right. It is about being the patient advocate. I will do what I can to preserve their dignity.

Few weeks ago I showed up to an MVA that had news media there. I saw the photographer videotaping the carnage and victim so I turned my ambulance to block the scene. Pissed off the photographer so he started following me with the camera since he couldn't see the wreck or victims anymore. I just smiled. When we wheeled the patient into the ambulance I had the tow truck driver hold up a blanket.

The media is vultures and I don't respect them. I have even less respect for citizens videotaping with their cell phones or camcorders. The media here are professional enough to cooperate when we tell them to not video victims.

I doubt this video was taken by professional media. I love pissing off the media though.

[Kiwiology]

I will admit it mate, your line of thoughts makes the hair in my ass crack stand up and go "hmmmmm?"

You like to piss the media off? how old are you like 12? That sounds very immature.

Unless the patient explicitly refuses themselves being photographed or videotaped then they have given implied consent, especially if they are in a public place. The TV crews here are specifically allowed to do their thing anywhere except inside a private residence or business without express permission of somebody there, not necessarily the patient, but it should be the patient wherever possible.

Now you do have a point to a degree about patient dignity, if they have to have a rectal exam or its a cardiac arrest resuscitation or something then that might be time to whip out some of the magic ambo drawer sheets (handy them magic ambo drawer sheets) and hold a couple of them up or just move them to the ambulance.

But seriously so what if somebody wants to show up and stand on the sideline and take some photos; for all we know he might be a curious citizen or more fucked in the head than I am and he is spanking off to them at night; don't know; and as long as he is not in the way or something then I don't care; if it's in a public place then unless the patient specifically says so then it is allowed and should be allowed.

The actions of the person in that video are disgustingly unconscionably unprofessional and rather disturbing; if it were up to me he would have his professional registration cancelled as well as being forbidden to practice again and In jurisdictions such as the UK and SA (and when it happens in NZ) if the person complained to the appropriate registration body that is probably exactly what would happen.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Kiwiology

[MikeEMT]

I will admit it mate, your line of thoughts makes the hair in my ass crack stand up and go "hmmmmm?"

You like to piss the media off? how old are you like 12? That sounds very immature.

Unless the patient explicitly refuses themselves being photographed or videotaped then they have given implied consent, especially if they are in a public place. The TV crews here are specifically allowed to do their thing anywhere except inside a private residence or business without express permission of somebody there, not necessarily the patient, but it should be the patient wherever possible.

Now you do have a point to a degree about patient dignity, if they have to have a rectal exam or its a cardiac arrest resuscitation or something then that might be time to whip out some of the magic ambo drawer sheets (handy them magic ambo drawer sheets) and hold a couple of them up or just move them to the ambulance.

But seriously so what if somebody wants to show up and stand on the sideline and take some photos; for all we know he might be a curious citizen or more fucked in the head than I am and he is spanking off to them at night; don't know; and as long as he is not in the way or something then I don't care; if it's in a public place then unless the patient specifically says so then it is allowed and should be allowed.

The actions of the person in that video are disgustingly unconscionably unprofessional and rather disturbing; if it were up to me he would have his professional registration cancelled as well as being forbidden to practice again and In jurisdictions such as the UK and SA (and when it happens in NZ) if the person complained to the appropriate registration body that is probably exactly what would happen.

You misunderstood me mate. I don't go out of my way to piss them off, nor do I go out of my way to help them. The media has burned their bridges with me by doing more than one act that was unprofessional and borderline illegal.

I will not cooperate with media and they know this.There is a reason you don't see footage like this coming out of my area. I will not elaborate on my reasons except to say they are very legit reasons.

Quite frankly the fact that you think he deserves to be disciplined is astounding. For what? Yes saying the "f" word was probably not his best moment. However he has a right to protect his patient's privacy.

A couple of months ago I treated a young woman with a head injury outside a bar. This woman was quite attractive and dressed in a manner consistent with club hopping. A drunk group came up and tried to take a picture up her skirt. I sent PD after them.

Bottom line, just because the crime scene tape doesn't extend to the ambulance doesn't mean it is not part of the scene. I understand curious bystanders and I can't prevent everything. I can control what I witness though and if I witness people taking in appropriate pictures I will deal with it.

In the video above the "photographer" says the job is patient care. How is taking a video and standing in the way beneficial to the patient or the scene? When that photographer saw the patient being wheeled out they should have backed off.

Prior to this job I owned a Private Investigator business. You would be surprised how many laws there are concerning video and photos on "public" property. Here in WA, even though the video is on "public property" the patient has rights to the video and can order it removed. Don't know if NY is the same.

The sign of a true professional is one that can look at the entire picture. It's pretty clear that a lot of people on here are so focused on the video and not the entire picture. Rather than vilify this guy how about you look at the ENTIRE picture. I would be interested in seeing the entire, unedited video.

One of the reasons I don't frequent this site much or engage in topics that are "controversial" is because of people making assumptions.

[ERDoc]

I personally know the guy so I will keep my personal opinions to myself other than to say he is probably the highest paid volunteer ambulance chief in the country, making $97,000/year last I heard. So Mike, even though he didn't "smack the camera away," he still touched it. Isn't that battery? This is a public place and we had a pretty lengthy discussion about this on another thread and I believe it was JP that provided links to legal precedence that says the photographer has every right to be there. There is no expectation of privacy when the incident is in public. As others have stated this video just reeks of unprofessionalism from the battery, the inappropriate example set by the chief in the presence of his crew down to the shorts that I believe are an OSHA violation.