Where firefighters come to talk training

Helmet Cams.... Liability or asset?

I can see two sides of the use of helmet cams for fire dept usage. On the training side I can see where they could be an asset, where you could go over what was and wasn't done at the fire scene, in a rookie situation it would be nice to critique their performance. From a fire investigation side I can see how they could be useful to give investigators the full view of what things looked like, patterns, smoke, etc. I can also see how if not handled properly how they could hurt a dept or put them up for ridicule, i.e. guys putting up their shots on you tube with out permission from the dept. In those situations you all know as well as I how everyone likes to Monday morning quarter back the scene and in some cases just rip you a part.I have also been thinking of the legal side of it, do we really want lawyers to get their hands on our video's? Are we merely opening up Pandora's box? I have been weighing both sides of this idea and am still on the razors edge. So I am looking for your view points on this issue. Does the use of this technology really help us or does it hurt us?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Walker on July 6, 2009 at 8:46am

Far be it from me to stir the ole chili pot but...

I use the cam on every fire. It is an amazing tool for critiques and that is what it is used for. I don't post anything on YouTube out of respect for the person who's house or business caught fire. I do use the footage in classes I teach. Since I'm usually the one in the front yard, the footage quality is really pretty good. This has been a tremendous help in our critiques.

For the guys on interior, the footage has mixed results, it all depends on the visibility but we have had some instances where the interior footage coupled with the exterior footage made for a fantastic critique.

Brothers, lets not be afraid to use a good tool properly. Just my two cents.

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