Social Media Misuse Is Costly. Are Your Fire and EMS Departments Prepared?

A guest post by LMCIT Public Safety Specialist Troy Walsh

I’m sure by now you have all heard about the unfortunate events surrounding the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others, including the $31 million in damages awarded to family members for the graphic photos that sheriff deputies and firefighters took at the scene.

But what about the emergency responders, investigation photos, or just the conversations that occurred around this tragic event? Social media is ever-changing, and it’s becoming increasingly more important to manage from a liability perspective. 

Do you have a plan if a high-profile incident happens in your community? Do you have a policy? These types of events happen every day, and we need to look at the ramifications of social media if it’s misused. In this day and age, it is essential for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments to understand that the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act also applies to video and digital images, including the use on a privately owned device.  

Check Out LMC’s Model Policies for Social Media and Digital Images

The League of Minnesota Cities has a model social media policy for fire and EMS departments to ensure that the information shared is not private, confidential, or sensitive. Additionally, all fire and EMS department should have a policy on taking images (digital, video, or otherwise) while on duty and the dissemination of those images, including on social media. A model social media and digital images policy is also available for your considered use.  

These policies are great starting points for anyone in public safety to educate your staff members in the proper use of social media and the protections of digital images. Additionally, there are many other liability topics addressed in the LMC fire department management and liability issues information memo.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at twalsh@lmc.org or (651) 281-1231. 

Remember:   Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay warm and be safe!

Troy