Listen to Chief's Comments (WBAL Radio)
Listen to Union's Reaction (WBAL Radio)
BALTIMORE, Md.-- People can usually find all sorts of photos on websites of fire scenes throughout Baltimore. But now WBAL Radio has learned that the Baltimore City fire chief is telling firefighters they can not take pictures or video while on duty.
Chief William Goodwin tells WBAL Radio that firefighters have never been allowed to take pictures of fire scenes while working the blaze.
"It wasn't a problem, but it was getting a little more prevalent than I like. It is not malicious by any standpoint. It is what we do, what we like to do, fight fires and save lives and things of that nature. But we can't get so complacent that what we do everyday is somebody else's tragedy and we need to remember that," said Goodwin. "It is not something we want to do because fires occur at people's homes and there is an issue of privacy," Goodwin tells WBAL Radio.
He says has reiterated the order in a memo to fire stations. Chief Goodwin says he also wants to avoid publicizing a victim.
One of the leaders of the city firefighters union thinks the timing of the order is "suspect."
Bob Sledgeski, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 734 says he has never seen an order before in his 34 year career that dealt with the issue of taking pictures.
Sledgeski believes there was a video taken by one of the recruits of the most recent graduating academy class of a live burn the day before recruit Rachel Wilson died at another location. Sledgeski says that video showed numerous violations of various federal and state regulations.
"Its an effort of the department to stop someone when they see something dangerous being done, to try to prevent someone from taking photos and being identified later," Sledgeski told WBAL Radio.
While Sledgeski says he can't argue that the privacy of citizens is very important but when a vacant dwelling or vacant building is burning he doesn't see why pictures could not be taken. He says no one would ever interfere with their job of fighting the fire but if they were on a break or the driver of the firetruck might have a second to snap a photo and it would not interfere with their duties.
"Again, unfortunately anything that comes from our headquarters now is suspect. This order didn't come out five months ago and there were pictures on various fire service websites," said Sledgeski.
Republished with permission of WBAL Radio.
