After a member of all-volunteer Kentland, Md. Station 33 wore a self-bought camera on his helmet into an Aug. 8 house fire, local television news outlets heralded footage of the rescue as "heroic."
Officials from the Prince George's County, Md. Fire/EMS Department, however, said firefighter Joe Brown's decision to strap the camera to his helmet was unauthorized.
Department spokesman Mark Brady stated Aug. 11 that the use of the helmet camera was not approved by Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick Jr.
"We have to get more research of the feasibility of the camera used and PPE requirement; things of that nature" before its use is approved, he said. "No one has approached the chief to propose a study."
The footage showed members of Station 33 exit the fire truck and enter a smoke-filled house as they proceeded to carry a 63-year-old disabled man out alive. The man would later die.
The day following the video's airing, the department issued a statement urging the stations to discontinue broadcast of the footage over the air and on the Internet.
"The release of this video and the media coverage demonstrated a lack of compassion and sensitivity for the family of the deceased," the statement read. "These actions are extremely unethical and unprofessional."
According to Brady, no suspensions related to the incident were handed down to Brown or fellow firefighters Anthony Rhode or Chris Floyd, who assisted in the rescue. After the video aired, he said Kentland's chief was "told that the use of the helmet camera should cease until more studies and research are done."
A member of Station 33, who requested anonymity, said he believes the county did discipline the three firefighters by suspending them for overdue fit tests soon after the video was released. As of Aug. 11, he said Floyd was no longer suspended after passing the test and that Brown and Rhode would be back on duty soon.
"We're being harassed again as usual by the county," he said. "Whatever good comes around for us, they always try to turn it around."
Station 33 was put under a microscope earlier this year when several of its members were investigated for sabotaging the air tanks of two career firefighters at a fire scene.
Criminal charges were filed by the county against the firefighters, but were soon dropped for a lack of evidence.
Related Stories
