Cameras In the back of your rig ?????

[crotchitymedic1986]

I imagine most of these folks who have been charged for molestation are guilty, but if you were innocent, it would just be your word against theirs. Years ago, when the subject of placing video/audio recording cameras in the back of the truck to film you as you treated patients first came up, it was met with stiff opposition. What are your feelings now, would you still oppose such a device in the back of your bus ?

[spenac]

A search will bring a similiar discussion to life. Oh never mind you meant public transportation I missed bus reference.

[WolfmanHarris]

The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) has been putting more and more camera in public transit as a result of an increase in assault against drivers.

[JPINFV]

I see cameras in the back of an ambulance as no big deal provided proper security controls are kept. Hospitals, after all, manage to have security cameras.

[Arctickat]

I always have been a proponent of cameras in the unit. Mine all have patient compartment cameras with recording devices but no video output. The digital card is a 16mb and can hold about 120 hours of video, the camera only comes on when there is power to the module, thus only when a patient is on board.

The only time it will ever be referenced is if there is a specific complaint registered. We have had two complaints in the last few years, but were rescinded when the plaintiffs were informed about the video system because both accusations were false.

Edit:

Whoops, i selected "yes" when I should have gone with "No".

[Eydawn]

Cameras protect those who do their job correctly and cream those who screw up. I say, as long as you document your screw-ups and the camera backs you, you should be in the clear, so why be afraid of cameras? They're everywhere. My service is about to get drive cams... so any vehicular fubars will have concrete irrefutable evidence as to what really happened. I have a feeling a few people with cell phone driving habits will end up hating it...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Dustdevil]

A search will bring a similiar discussion to life. Oh never mind you meant public transportation I missed bus reference.

Yeah. Rig... Bus... Who knew wtf he was talking about? :?

[Richard B the EMT]

"Dash-Cams" can save crews when the ambulance is, with no fault of the crew, in an accident, but are not cameras in the patient area potentially a HIPAA violation? How much stuff is already being seen away from "secure" areas on Youtube? A lot, as witness the stuff some of us link to in the various discussion strings.

I'll refer to one specific video. A car ran into the toll booth at high speed, exploding in a fireball. It was supposed to be a tape exclusively for use within the highway operating authority, yet it was both posted, and then pulled from Youtube, within 18 hours of the event happening.

[crotchitymedic1986]

To tape is not a HIPPAA violation, but to release or show it to anyone else would be. Most hospital ICU's and Nurseries have moved to 24-hour surveilance tape in all rooms, to protect the patient from the things that have been brought to light.

And yes, I was referring to a camera in the patient compartment, not a dash cam. My concern is that once the community found out that you had one, would lawyers start demanding access to the tapes to go fishing for a case ? Obvioulsy the audio should always be professional, but I think we have all said or heard some things in the back of the truck, during a critical call, that would not sound to great on myspace.

But I also know a paramedic whose career was ended by this kind of allegation (not while on-duty), and I am pretty sure he was innocent. There are lots of crazy people in this world, and they love to make the easy buck through lawsuits. I can see the plusses and the minuses.

[spenac]

Yeah. Rig... Bus... Who knew wtf he was talking about? :?

Rig isn't that like a big truck often referred to as an 18 wheeler. Bus carrys kids to school and yes some ride the short bus too. Bus also carrys people in big citys to shopping or travelers from one town to another.

Ambulance or Mobile Emergency rooms I see pro's and cons to cameras, but many of those have been discussed here in an earlier topic on same subject.