Cameras are prohibited and pictures will get you fired

[tcripp]

So, what is the problem with photography?

What is your service policy in relation to photography?

Do you take pictures at the scene?

Responding without reading any other posts...so forgive me if I repeat someone else.

What's wrong with photography? Some people don't have the common sense God gave them to remove identifying information before they decide it's okay to share them. Other's don't understand the appropriateness of sharing. And the rest, well, they do it right.

Policy? We do have a policy that states minimal photos can be taken at a scene with significant MOI to be used in sharing with ER / flight crews. At no time is photo taking to be priority over patient care. Photos will not be included with our reports. All photos should be destroyed once their purpose is served. At no time are we to post our pictures.

Do I take pics? Yes, I do. I have used to show the ER/Flight crews. Additionally, our ePCR has a feature where we will draw the scene of the accident. I use the pics to help me recall visually the scene so my drawings are fairly accurate.

[Just Plain Ruff]

If my families care was helped in the showing of the doctors the scene or injuries or the damage to the car I have no problem with a photo being taken.

What I have a problem with is the yahoo idiot who doesn't delete the photo upon showing the doctor and it goes on the internet.

Anyone remember the case regarding the dying woman in the car or she was pinned between two cars and it made it to the internet. that's the stupidity that I'm talking about.

[flamingemt2011]

To answer your question, it is because dumb emt/medics/FF/first responders started sharing thier photos on the web and to their friends, just google "emt shared crash pictures" or something like that. This resulted in many lawsuits or embarassing situations. So that is why the tool has pretty much been taken away.

Is it useful, could be, especially if the patient looks unhurt, but the MOI can be shown in a picture. But doctors have been treating car crash victims for probably close to 90-100 years without it.

[DFIB]

Is it useful, could be, especially if the patient looks unhurt, but the MOI can be shown in a picture. But doctors have been treating car crash victims for probably close to 90-100 years without it.

They have been treating trauma for falling of the turnip cart for longer than that. But could the use of this particular technology make them better?

[Asysin2leads]

FlamingEMT is dead on the money. Unfortunately personal judgement and acting like an adult died out around the same time dial-up AOL did. Taking a photo of something pertinent on scene and relaying it to the ER staff is good practice and thinking outside of the box. Taking photos of an accident scene and posting it on Facebook is tremendously stupid. Its kind of in the same vein as having to write operating procedure governing cell phone tones.

[DwayneEMTP]

...Is it useful, could be, especially if the patient looks unhurt, but the MOI can be shown in a picture...

Agree completely.

And of course it's been done without, as has treating infection without antibiotics, or treating trauma without purposeful management of perfusion values. But why would we choose to purposely remain archaic?

Dwayne

[Chief1C]

On personnel taking pictures, we strictly forbid it for personal means. That policy was instated over two years ago, among several nationally publicized lawsuits. However, every EMS unit in the county was given a digital camera from a fund established after one of our buddies and long time EMS leaders died of cancer. A pink, digital camera. We also have several older model Polaroid cameras on board; and our rescue-engine carries one. The best way to learn from what you do, is to document it, in writing and visualization. Like cribbing an awkwardly found vehicle, or use of air bags (lift bags) or stabilization struts; we also take pictures of fluid in streams, and barrier methods (damming, diking, rerouting, booms, etc.)

But these pictures never go any farther than a lap top that isn't connected to the internet, and is locked up 99% of the time.

The ambulance camera is a great way to be an extension of your mind, an advocate for the patient, if you will. Why paint a picture, just in words, when you can provide an actual picture. I've found that most HEMS crews, Trauma Center staff appreciate being able to see a MOI.. Also, it looks less like you're freelancing, if you're using a "crime scene" looking camera, than just pulling out your cell phone and snapping a picture. We don't take pictures of bodies, etc; unless of course there was a survivor, and one still entangled. Then we would sheet the other victim, and try to avoid taking obvious pictures of the decedent. This is all my opinion of course, and what we practice. It used to be quite common to snap a few shots of the vehicle, interior and from a distance to leave with the ER's copy of the PCR to show what exactly the patient went through to get to that point.

*** I typed it, but then it kept deleting when I tried to space it, so it was only edited to the extent of spacing.

Edited November 2, 2011 by 2c4

[Kiwiology]

To answer your question, it is because dumb emt/medics/FF/first responders started sharing thier photos on the web and to their friends, just google "emt shared crash pictures" or something like that. This resulted in many lawsuits or embarassing situations. So that is why the tool has pretty much been taken away.

Cough, professionalism, cough, active syntheisis ACh and ATP allowing for neuron firing and using that big sponge like thing inside the cranial vault, cough

Excuse me while I get a glass of water

[Just Plain Ruff]

Had a call on a woman down. On arrival found an obviously dead female. INstructed my partner to snap a picture of the scene prior to my entering it. Blood all over the floor, bloody handprints on wall, smeared blood on mirror that was shattered. Woman's head nearly cut off the cut on the neck was so massive. The murder weapon was next to the woman - a shard of the mirror.

This was when I was first badged a medic and I stupidly entered the scene. The killer had left and actually had been stopped by local PD about 7 blocks away but of course stupid me didn't know that.

The picture was taken because we wanted to document the scene prior to our footprints and medical equipment being in the house.

PD rolled up just as we were leaving the house. I gave them the SD card from the camera.

Was I stupid to enter the scene before PD, yep but their ETA on our arrival was over 10 minutes so Superman here went in. Have never done that again after the Ass chewing that I got from the Sergeant. Sometimes it takes the removal of an entire butt cheek to have things sink in.

[basejump]

Had a call on a woman down. On arrival found an obviously dead female. INstructed my partner to snap a picture of the scene prior to my entering it. Blood all over the floor, bloody handprints on wall, smeared blood on mirror that was shattered. Woman's head nearly cut off the cut on the neck was so massive. The murder weapon was next to the woman - a shard of the mirror.

This was when I was first badged a medic and I stupidly entered the scene. The killer had left and actually had been stopped by local PD about 7 blocks away but of course stupid me didn't know that.

The picture was taken because we wanted to document the scene prior to our footprints and medical equipment being in the house.

PD rolled up just as we were leaving the house. I gave them the SD card from the camera.

Was I stupid to enter the scene before PD, yep but their ETA on our arrival was over 10 minutes so Superman here went in. Have never done that again after the Ass chewing that I got from the Sergeant. Sometimes it takes the removal of an entire butt cheek to have things sink in.

Does your PD have a forensics unit?