San Francisco Fire bans helmet cameras
Last week I moderated a webinar on emerging technologies for public safety agencies. Among the things I noted in my introductory comments was the incredible use being made of video as a diagnostic, investigative, and training tool.
It came as a bit of surprise to note that my own city of San Francisco has just banned the use of helmet cameras. Chief Joanne Hayes-White issued the order over concerns about patient and victim privacy, noting that the city has no control over how firefighters use the footage. Together with a 2009 ban on cameras in any "facilities" the order in effect precludes the the San Francisco Fire Department from using any video tools.
The timing of the order is awkward for the Department, which has a reputation for being a bit "traditional". Helmet-camera footage from a battalion chief has been a major piece of evidence in the investigation of the death of aa victim of the Asiana Airlines crash who was accidentally run over by a fire truck. There is speculation that the department may have some liability attached because of the incident. This makes it hard to accept the ban on helmet cameras as being solely related to privacy.
Helmet camera footage has been used by the department as a training tool, much like a sports team will view game footage to learn from their mistakes. The department has also made use of video from ambulances to coordinate treatment with receiving hospitals and physicians. And, of course, footage from the crash has been shared with the agencies investigating the incident. To say that these legitimate uses of video are trumped by unspecified issues of privacy that the department is just realizing may exist is a bit specious.
There are two lessons here. The first is the importance of having well-thought out policies for the use of video. The Chief's claims that she can't control how the video is used suggests the absence of a such policy that would, among other things, prohibit unauthorized disclosure.
The second lesson is how timing can make a bad situation worse. A few weeks ago, banning helmet cameras would probably not have made the news. Coming on the heels of a major airline crash that has liability issues associated with it invites speculation that the sole purpose of the ban is to protect the department from future liability claims.