Policy for Recording an Emergency Scene

__________ FIRE DISTRICT

POLICY FOR PHOTOGRAPHING OR VIDEOTAPING OR RECORDING OF AN EMERGENCY SCENE

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish the standards for taking photographs, audio recordings and/or video recordings (collectively, recordings) regardless of the medium used, who should make such recordings, when such recording are to be made, what information that can be taken, and how the recordings are to be protected. Recordings taken at the scene of an incident may be very useful to the fire district for purposes of training, fire investigation, patient care and documentation of an incident.

Training

For training purposes, recordings of a fire or accident scene, and the conditions that were present at the scene, such as the equipment used and what equipment could or should have been used, are valuable tools for teaching firefighter’s techniques and methods of fire suppression, rescue and improvement to patient care. Properly taken recordings of the incident assist the fire district in re-creating the incident, the time schedule when events occurred, and showing events as they occur.

Investigation

Recordings are very useful in assisting fire and incident investigators in determining the extent, cause and source of the incident.

Patient care

Recordings of the mechanics of the injury, the injury itself and the method of treatment of the injury are helpful to the medical emergency room personnel.

Documentation of an incident

Properly taken recordings of the incident assist the fire district in re-creating the incident and determining when events occurred. Video and photographs are taken to document the progression of the fire or accident incident.

BACKGROUND

Video, audio and photographs are records

The Freedom of Information Law defines a record as any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with or for an...