I know its impossible to avoid government interference when working in health care, but I hope I can stick to working for hospitals and other private ambulance services.

It maybe a good idea to have signed release forms for everyone involved before the next situation the press attempts to cover… Plus, perhaps a copy of the law. They may be ignorant, and they may be willfully violating you, but perhaps the perception of proof of a law may be enough to keep some of these bastards from aggressing against you.

Did I understand correctly that a non-police officer just forced one of you in, or out, of a room, and in another circumstance, stole your property? I hope you pursue charges. I realize it’s easily suggested, and perhaps against your principles, but have any of you reporters considered arming yourselves with pepper spray, or a taser?

I’m not as naive as my comments may make me out to sound. I don’t believe these people will respect their own laws, or that their system will check them.. However, they’re apparently not hindered by conscience, and their not held accountable by law.. right now. Perhaps they never will be, but it might be worth a shot. ANY accountability for their aggressions may give them pause. As of right now, they show no signs of respecting their own laws, or human decency, and they violate without care.

My BA-Journalism will turn 24 in December, and I never worked professionally in the field, so I did some quick brushing up.

It turns out that journalism law is the same now as it was in 1983, when I took a J-law course. Now, as then, it’s a “closed door” rule: when the doors close, whether the hospital doors or ambulance doors, anything that takes place beyond that point is off limits for photography or video or audio without specific permission of the subject and anyone else who might be identifiable, even unintentionally.

HIPAA’s privacy rules only apply to “health information”, which means information “created or received by a health care provider, health plan, public health authority, employer, life insurer, school or university, or health care clearinghouse”.

The law only applies to “covered entities”, not to anyone else. Those entities have no enforcement authority over private individuals, other than booting them out under trespass laws. They’re not even liable for the actions of third parties, but their lawyers are terrified of being sued, because the HIPAA fines are so high ($50,000 per occurrence).

In short: that EMT was full of BS, and committed robbery against Ian.

straight up, kurt. speak as what you are. powerful.

Thank you. This is such an awful thing to watch & listen to.