Scene photos

[ACPD227]

Ok so today we were dispatched to a factory under construction for a fire. I arrived first and took command. I got first arriving companies going to work and then turned over command to the COD when he arrived. I then took a few photos and later added them to the departments face book page that i run. This was about 1300. At 1800 i watch the local evening news and what do i see. The news station stole all of my photos and used them on the 600 news. 

 

What pisses me off is they never gave me or the department credit.  

[edburke]

Since you were on the clock, the photos are technically the property of the department, and a government entity cannot hold a copyright.  The credit, on the other hand, should have been given, and I would suggest an email to the news director of the station for not doing it.

[ACPD227]

I was not on the clock. 

[SOlsonBFDL14]

I'm confused. You say you were dispatched, took command, directed incoming companies & then turned command over the the COD, but you were NOT on the clock?

[ACPD227]

I'm confused. You say you were dispatched, took command, directed incoming companies & then turned command over the the COD, but you were NOT on the clock?

 

 

That is correct. I was off duty and just around the corner. I responded off duty and turned over the scene to the cod when he arrived. I am a part time hourly firefighter emt. If im not on duty im not getting paid.   

 

It seems that some have a very narrow view of what a firefighter is. My department is a Combination department. We have full time members, Part time members, Volunteer members, and Live in members. Some of you would have kittens when id tel you we have to attend training off duty on our own  time.  

 

For example lets say you are driving into your station for your shift that starts in an hour. Your off duty. When your company is dispatched to a building fire. The building that is on the other side of the street from the traffic light you are at. The light changes and you pull into the parking lot and speak to the employees that have evacuated. Your company is coming from 5 miles away. You do not have gear with you. The fire is in a 10 foot by 40 foot air handler on the roof 30 feet in the air. The only thing you can do is give an on scene report and figure out where the first company needs to enter the large industrial property to make the best fire attack.

 

During the day 8am to 4pm this department has 6 paid firefighters on duty. 3 at station 3 and 3 at station 1. Station 4 is staffed with live ins and had 2 members on station. Station 2 is all volunteer. Due to the location of the fire and time of day the COD requested the U.S. Air force fire station that is located 2 miles from fire send an engine. The air force has 16 firefighter / Emts on duty per shift. They respond an engine with 6 members. The dispatch center also sent 2 other all volunteer department when you were dispatched.            

[edburke]

In that case, you own your photos, and have a lawsuit against the station.  The hard part is going to be establishing the value of the photographs.  Also, the TV station will probably claim that by taking action, you asserted a duty to act and that, paid or not, by taking command actions you were acting as an agent of the department, which legally, as opposed to the rules and regulations of the department, places you on duty.

[ACPD227]

I guess I should add took the photos after I gave command to the cod. Im not sure id want to sue. I just needed to vent that they didnt give credit. 

[edburke]

That information changes the dynamic.  The photos are absolutely yours, and credit should have been given.  I'm sure the  news director assumed that they were department photos, since they were on a department Facebook page (is it official?  Is there a disclaimer about it being run by a member?)   As I mentioned above, a government entity cannot hold a copyright, which places any photos taken by any person while being paid by said entity in the public domain.  As such, the news probably wrongly assumed that the photos were public domain.  I'm sure an email will get an apology.