Pixiq

That also depends on your region, Mike. Where I live EMS is primarily handled by a large private company, not the local FD, so the Chief has authority overall until the scene is safe; but once it's safe, if there's a patient on scene, the first paramedic on scene has full control, even over the Chief and cops. Once the patient is secure, however, it goes back to the Chief.

I've had people detained and locked in a squad car myself until the scene was cleared, but they were clearly interfering; standing in the way, blinding us with the camera lights, etc. Otherwise, even if I disagree with them filming or photographing an injured person as a matter of personal ethics, I agree with their right to do so.

Mike,

I fully agree with your sentiments with some possible exceptions. First and foremost all photographers/bystanders should respect scene safety/exclusion zones etc. as long as they are applied fairly and equally to everybody.

I have had many experiences where law enforcement or fire department personnel decided that they did not like me taking pictures of a certain crime/fire/accident scenes. In all of these cases I was well behind the yellow tape and behind other bystanders. Yet, I have been threatened with arrest, detainment, and violence because they did not like me taking pictures. Yet, they did not mind other bystanders standing around watching the scene. In these situations time is of the essence, and if coerced into stopping photographing or arrested, that opportunity will never be available again for that scene. So, I will question why I am being singled out, and to protest, in a respectful non-confrontational manner. I always document my on scene encounters/behavior with a digital micro-video recorder, and with my iPhone which instantly uploads data to a secure international server to prevent later erasure should my recorders be confiscated. This way I have documentation of any "Prior Restraint", which is considered by the courts to be the most egregious form of censorship, which can rarely be justified. It also documents any illegal or inappropriate threats that may be made against me. So many officials forget that as government employees they can not prohibit or censor what is visible from a public location. It seems that they decide that they do not like someone taking pictures and then twist rules, regulations, and statutes to justify what they want at the moment. It is only because of my video documentation that I have had several complaints "Sustained" by law enforcement internal affairs reviews.

I assure you that I am not out to take pictures of severely injured patients and usually try to choose camera angles that shield their faces. My interest is in documenting the work of first responders, the scene, and the story behind what happened.

By way of history, I worked for 20+ years as a paramedic on fixed-wing, rotor-wing and ground ambulances. I have worked as a nurse in emergency departments, ICU's, and in home health settings. I have tried to get to know local firefighters, police, and EMS personnel so that they know what I am doing and why. Indeed, I often provide my photos free of charge for them to use on their web pages, newsletters, as well as to the media. I have won multiple awards for my on scene photography, but still occasionally encounter hostile, and threatening officials.