Georgia Firefighter Accused Of Sharing Video Of Fatal Accident Victim

GRIFFIN, Ga. - A Georgia county is looking into whether any rules were violated after a firefighter took graphic cell phone video of a fatal crash that was shared with other firefighters, patrons at a bar and was later received by the father of the woman who died.

Jeff Kempson tells Atlanta station WAGA-TV he doesn't understand why a firefighter would have taken the video of his daughter, 23-year-old Dayna Kempson-Schacht. She died July 17 when her car crashed into trees.

The Spalding County Sheriff's office says a firefighter took the video on his personal cell phone and shared it with other firefighters. An unknown firefighter later took the video to a bar and texted it to other patrons. From there, the video spread.

___

Information from: WAGA-TV, http://www.wagatv.com/index.shtml

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mark Klaene on October 18, 2010 at 4:14pm

so definitely wrong for taking it w/o the IC's permission

more wrong for sharing it unless for official training purposes (it should have become department property)

and completely wrong and stupid for letting it spread

If the department didn't have a policy FIRING might be a little harsh but SUSPENSION regardless

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by FETC on October 18, 2010 at 4:20pm

Sorry but your completely wrong Anthony. HIPPA will only come into play in this case if he named the subject in the video/audio. When we are on scene, treating and transporting a patient; it is not our duty to protect the patient from being photographed. It is however against the protection act regulation to wheel out a patient on a cot and tell everyone their name and what their problem is during our care.

Is what they do wrong? Yes, morally and ethically.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by FETC on October 18, 2010 at 4:21pm

Sorry but your completely wrong Phoenix. HIPPA will only come into play in this case if he named the subject in the video/audio. When we are on scene, treating and transporting a patient; it is not our duty to protect the patient from being photographed. It is however against the protection act regulation to wheel out a patient on a cot and tell everyone their name and what their problem is during our care.

Is what they do wrong? Yes, morally and ethically.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Larry Naser on October 18, 2010 at 4:44pm

I am looking for some ideas about social media policies. Does anyone have any they would be willing to share? I do not want to find myself in this situation as a Chief.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dean Bailey on October 18, 2010 at 4:59pm

I am not only a Career firefighter but I am also a volunteer. The person who took the video was wrong in doing so, but the person who shared the video was even more wrong. In my opinion all parties involved should be disciplined according to the department regulations, if the department doesn't have a regulation for this type of infraction then they better make one for future infractions. Unfortunately this type of thing will happen again, my only hope is that we learn from our mistakes and think of the families who have lost that loved one and think twice before we do something this insensitive again!!!!!!!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by robert f newkirk on October 18, 2010 at 4:59pm

My name is robert , i do fire/ems photos for many dept. and yes hippa dose play a rolling in this if you are on scene as a frist responder you can not be taken photos , you fall under hIPPA in the state of new jersey . point in case gov . in mva on the parkway many emt and firefigther had there but handed to them some lost there emt certs for some time . I can take photos of the scene to the point if I treat a pt or gab a tool then the photos have to stop as per my Lawer . many time I was frist on scene and had a police offricer tell me to treat a pt and i was unable to take pic. like many of you i am a emt/firefigther too

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CAFR214 on October 18, 2010 at 5:29pm

HIPPA laws does not apply to media not unless it shows their face in it other wise it only applies to patient medical records or treatment.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Oldman on October 18, 2010 at 5:33pm

While that might be true, according to the article and video report, this was a firefighter utilizing his cell phone. He apparently was not acting as a member of the media, but rather as a responder to the incident.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katie Hueston on October 18, 2010 at 5:36pm

I agree with what you said 100 percent. In this day and age, every department should have a social media policy in place. What happened should have never happened and they should have a policy in place, stating that it wouldn't be tolerated. He should be fired, end of story. What happened was not only poor judgement and distasteful, but as a parent, I can not imagine the pain and anger that I would feel having images of my child's death circulated.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katie Hueston on October 18, 2010 at 5:39pm

He should be fired IMMEDIATELY. This person gives us all a bad name. Disgraceful! The department should have a policy in place on what will be done in situations like this. Regardless of whether or not he was busy, this is simply unacceptable. We all know that we should protect the privacy of our patients, this girl who passed was still a patient and her privacy WAS NOT PROTECTED! I feel for the poor girl's family.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Katie Hueston on October 18, 2010 at 5:40pm

I agree with what you said. However, if the person hadn't taken the video in the first place, it wouldn't have existed to be passed around. Good points tho. I am on a volunteer fire department as well and I know for a fact this would NEVER be allowed.