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Permalink Reply by Joe Ginther on April 15, 2009 at 6:47pm

Sure, if you can afford it. Everyone always talks about safety, why not make everyone accountable with video evidence. Making sure they're wearing a seatbelt, not dressing while running emergent etc..

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Permalink Reply by matt on April 15, 2009 at 6:53pm

thanks for the reply joe i hear ya there ive been in the service for 3 years going on 4 and in my short time ive seen people putting there bunker pants on will driving. not kool ive brought it up but it got swept under the carpet like most things any ways thank for the reply

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on April 15, 2009 at 7:02pm

I say NO. You have offers at the fire sence, and you also have witnesses, as well. The reason police have dash cams in their vehicles is because most of the time they are alone when responding to calls or pulling someone over for a traffic infraction. The cost is another factor, I would rather see the mony put towards equipment, or training.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on April 15, 2009 at 8:07pm

Dottie What the *#** are you talking about, I'm not sure if you read the question properly, and I don't see the difference if it's on the dash or the outside of the vehicle

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on April 15, 2009 at 9:04pm

Cameras in appliances to record whether crew are wearing seatbelts etc.; to record that a driver is gettig dressed while driving (the mind boggles at that one!); to record whether an officer is doing his/her job in the vehicle - that is one question and my answer is that I have no issue with it. Cameras on the outside of vehicles to record what other motorists are doing is another question, I have no issue with this one either.

DT mentions the equiping of new vehicles with black boxes, I have no issue with this one either! We're certain to get complaints from people about not supporting our brothers of course, when these boxes prove after an MVA that the FF driver was at fault. Unfortunately, black box information is only ever likely to have effect after someone dies or is seriously injured - cameras may help to prevent some MVA's from happening.

I would find it hard to accept that there could be anyone here that hasn't seen poor or even dangerous behaviour in a fire truck. I have, and I've reported it, sometimes to good effect sometimes with no effect. Officers don't always do their duty. Drivers don't always drive safely. Crew members are known to do the wrong thing - failure to wear seatbelts for instance. Are these failures the norm? No, of course not, but they do happen. If training and discipline don't do the job, then maybe cameras will.

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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on April 15, 2009 at 9:12pm

I think it's a good thing if they can afford to do it. I do my job right and safe it is all the idiots that drive to fast, go in the wrong lane and other stupid mistakes that makes the public think that we drive to fast. I know a lot of utility companies that are doing this and it works for them. The bottom line is if you have the camera and you are involved in an accident, if you were doing everything right it will help you.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on April 15, 2009 at 9:17pm

For training purposes absolutely. Lawsuit mitigation, probably the best tool to protect your FFs and the dept. As a big-brother tool to spy on the crew, NO

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on April 15, 2009 at 9:25pm

But Jay, there are many people who will say that any use of a camera is 'big-brother...

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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on April 15, 2009 at 9:26pm

If the crew is doing the job right and safe they shouldn't mind it. If I have proof that me and my crew was doing our job safe and right I'm all for it.

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