I understand about the distraction part. Keep focused, stay on patient care. But, if time permits, take a moment to interact and offer an explanation to the bystanders. A GOOD communicator can get a lot of negative impressions turned around real quick. I do it all the time. We're filming...
I don't think I'd go as far to say the scene in the video was on the verge of a riot or even public disorder. Clearly, the bystanders were upset with what they were hearing from the firefighters, and from my viewpoint, rightfully so. With more attention to self control from the firefighters, I...
Even after behaving like a complete ***? If you don't think you don't have to justify your performance to the public in any manner, then I'd suggest you're in the wrong business. That self-righteous arrogance is part of the problem as to how the public perceives emergency services, and...
Just remember not to get sidetracked with the bystanders. Keep your focus on patient care and if enough responders are on the scene to setup a "specticle barrior" of some sort, then so be it as long as it dosen't comprise care and transportation times.
As someone who makes his living filming EMS crews, I can say much of the advice you see here in this forum is spot on. Just focus on patient care and ignore the bystanders. The moment you try to censor a bystander, or journalist, you run the risk of making the scene into a spectacle that will...
There was a fear that law officers may be specifically targeted by some violent protester, and from what I understand, there were no singled out actions against any police officer out side of the riot lines itself. Myself and my cameraman continued to wear our tactical 5.11 uniform and we had...
I know Bearcats are not surplus - that was my whole point of better public information to the media. Understand the command / staging area was in a very large shopping center lot covering a large area with multiple points of entry. Also keep in mind this was not some small one block area...
Ferguson police was not handling the protests / riots. That was turned over to St. Louis County police and then days later, the Missouri State Highway patrol was ordered to take over. However, the public information was still directed to St. Louis County police. I've got a pretty good story...
The retoric about the militarization of the police was more inline with complete ignorance of the bloggers, tweeters, media, you name it, that a Lenco Bearcat is not a military surplus vehicle. However, the police public information system was terrible. The moment tweets started to surface...
There will be a lot to learn from this. We've filmed some more interviews that will air on EMS1 shortly that we hope will give more insight from the EMS side of the incident. I'll share some of my personal findings here a bit later.
Here is a link to the EMS Chief Chris Cebollero interview we filmed a few days ago.
http://www.ems1.com/paramedic-chief/video/1965888-EMS-Chief-What-EMS-crews-experienced-the-first-day-of-the-Ferguson-shooting/
I haven't seen that there at all; however, EMS is staging at the command staging area just up the road from the protesters, so there is really no close EMS presence from the protesters point of view. Late afternoon, EMS stages four extra units in the staging area. But, for the most part, the...
We've been filming in Ferguson with Chris Cebollero's EMS crews ever since the rioting started nine days ago. Look for an exclusive interview we filmed with EMS Chief Cebollero last Sunday evening at the riot police staging area that will appear tomorrow on EMS1.com. In the interview, Chris...