A South Bend (IN) firefighter was demoted for taking cell phone video of a fire.
The firefighter now faces a possible 30 day suspension for taking cell phone video of a recent fire incident, an accident which goes against the fire department’s recently enacted Facebook policy and duty manual, a report on abc57.com indicated (http://bit.ly/AaysPJ).
According to the Facebook policy, local firefighters cannot use their cell phones when they are working an emergency call. The report, however, says several other firefighters have not been punished for violating this same policy in the past.
The use of social media in the fire service has generated considerable controversy in recent times as new technology makes it ever easier to send messages, video, and photos to the Internet audience. While there are undoubtedly training benefits from being able to see so many various instances of fire behavior and firefighting operations, there are risks, as well–for the firefighters operating at the scene and in potential legal consequences for the fire department.
Former deputy fire chief and attorney John K. Murphy addresses this and related issues in his articles When Was the Last Time You Looked at Your Personnel Policy Manual?
