Putnam Valley Structure Fire

[miami222 62]

On Sunday March 4,2012 the Continental Village Fire Dept. Responded mutual-aid to Putnam Valley who was operating a structure fire at Putnam Valley Park.

[MoFire390 118]

Nice photos chief thanks for sharing

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

[FireRescueMan343 31]

I Had Alot Of Nice Pic Of This Call But I Was Force To Delete All Of Them By A Member Of Puntasm Valley VFD & Puntam Co. Fire Investigation Team Cos I Was Told It Was A Crime Scene. I Was Told If I Did Not Do So I Would Be Arrested For A Felony.

Edited March 17, 2012 by FireRescueMan343

[x129K 1,393]

I Had Alot Of Nice Pic Of This Call But I Was Force To Delete All Of Them By A Member Of Puntasm Valley VFD & Puntam Co. Fire Investigation Team Cos I Was Told It Was A Crime Scene. I Was Told If I Did Not Do So I Would Be Arrested For A Felony.

Did they state what penal law you allegedly violated?

It's a felony, but if you erase them we'll call it good??????????

Thats like getting caught with a pound of coke and being told if you snort it all quick, no harm, no foul...

[firedude 985]

I Had Alot Of Nice Pic Of This Call But I Was Force To Delete All Of Them By A Member Of Puntasm Valley VFD & Puntam Co. Fire Investigation Team Cos I Was Told It Was A Crime Scene. I Was Told If I Did Not Do So I Would Be Arrested For A Felony.

Were you asked to leave (if on private property or in the crime scene)? I am aware of no such laws that make it a Felony, nor can they make you delete photos. Was the member of PVVFD a fire-police member? Then again, if you want real answers, check these guys out...

International Fire Photographers Association

The World of Fire Photography

[FireRescueMan343 31]

Thanks For All The Input. Thats Wat I Thought But I Was Not Sure I Have Not Been The State For 10 Year

[x129K 1,393]

There HAS to be more to the story of course. It just does not add up.

[helicopper 1,050]

The fire was on public property (town park) so the issue of being somewhere you're not supposed to be doesn't hold.

I'm also curious about what authority a member of an FD or fire investigation team has to tell anyone to do anything (such as destroying/deleting personal property)? Seems to me that someone ate too many Wheaties that day and overstepped their bounds.

Even if it was a crime scene, I'm not aware of any special authority that these individuals would have had to tell you to delete photos. Now if they were photos from inside the structure or within a defined crime scene there may have been an issue but I don't see any crime scene tape in the photos above.

[x129K 1,393]

Or at the most - ask for the photos for additional evidence???????

[TR54 239]

I Had Alot Of Nice Pic Of This Call But I Was Force To Delete All Of Them By A Member Of Puntasm Valley VFD & Puntam Co. Fire Investigation Team Cos I Was Told It Was A Crime Scene. I Was Told If I Did Not Do So I Would Be Arrested For A Felony.

Pictures on the Putnam Valley FD website of the crime scene ...

http://www.putnamvalleyfire.com/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=112

[miami222 62]

There has to be more to the story, when I was on scene there had to be at least 5 other people taking photos and videos.

I will also add that when I was chief we had a bad fatal accident and when I got on scene there was a gentleman taking photos (there were no photos of the victim only the scene. The State Troopers did confiscate his memory card to look through for evidence, but I was told by them that they could only make a copy and were going to give it back.

I think a lot of the negative feedback you have been getting comes from the fear of you recording or taking a photo of a department doing something wrong and then posting it on here or youtub or somewhere else. Nobody likes bad press! When you take photos you need to use discretion in what you post and I would also recommend you give a copy of the photos to the chief or someone in the department (Not try and sell it to them). That way they can see what you have and are not left wondering if they are going to see something pop up on a forum somewhere.

I tend to only take photos of my own department unless we go mutual-Aid somewhere or I’m requested to take photos, and those photos are used for training purposes and to post on our department website. I also have a personal website with additional pictures that don’t make it onto the dept website and they are accessible to all the members of my department for free because I don’t believe in taking a photo of someone and charging them for it.

The point is don’t act like you are hiding anything or doing anything wrong and people will generally leave you alone. Don’t go where you are not supposed to go, don’t get in the way and don’t cause a scene if you are asked to leave, just apologize and go. It also might be a good idea to go around and introduce yourself to the chiefs of the departments who’s scenes you plan on going to photograph, this way you can get permission in advance or they can politely ask you not to, and they will know who you are when they see you on the scene.

Just my thoughts

[x4093k 654]

There has to be more to the story, when I was on scene there had to be at least 5 other people taking photos and videos.

I will also add that when I was chief we had a bad fatal accident and when I got on scene there was a gentleman taking photos (there were no photos of the victim only the scene. The State Troopers did confiscate his memory card to look through for evidence, but I was told by them that they could only make a copy and were going to give it back.

I think a lot of the negative feedback you have been getting comes from the fear of you recording or taking a photo of a department doing something wrong and then posting it on here or youtub or somewhere else. Nobody likes bad press! When you take photos you need to use discretion in what you post and I would also recommend you give a copy of the photos to the chief or someone in the department (Not try and sell it to them). That way they can see what you have and are not left wondering if they are going to see something pop up on a forum somewhere.

I tend to only take photos of my own department unless we go mutual-Aid somewhere or I’m requested to take photos, and those photos are used for training purposes and to post on our department website. I also have a personal website with additional pictures that don’t make it onto the dept website and they are accessible to all the members of my department for free because I don’t believe in taking a photo of someone and charging them for it.

The point is don’t act like you are hiding anything or doing anything wrong and people will generally leave you alone. Don’t go where you are not supposed to go, don’t get in the way and don’t cause a scene if you are asked to leave, just apologize and go. It also might be a good idea to go around and introduce yourself to the chiefs of the departments who’s scenes you plan on going to photograph, this way you can get permission in advance or they can politely ask you not to, and they will know who you are when they see you on the scene.

Just my thoughts

Very well said, and to add to the last part, it's good to know who surrounds you and if you know the chief maybe they'll allow you to stay just because they know they can trust you with them or they know you know where your boundaries are when at a scene. I've seen some people follow the firefighters to the door of a burning building, or follow EMS as they move the victim to the ambulance/helicopter, personally, I'd never get THAT close. For many reasons, including the victims privacy, for legal rights, etc. If I would like to photograph a scene, I tend to get the outside stuff.( rigs, personell, flames, helicopters, etc, etc) I think we should all just remember where the boundaries are, and what the photos will be used for.

[INIT915 1,119]

I Had Alot Of Nice Pic Of This Call But I Was Force To Delete All Of Them By A Member Of Puntasm Valley VFD & Puntam Co. Fire Investigation Team Cos I Was Told It Was A Crime Scene. I Was Told If I Did Not Do So I Would Be Arrested For A Felony.

If someone did in fact tell you this, either they were woefully inept or just breaking your chops, as there is is no legal recourse for the situation you describe. Additionally, there is no such crime as the one they seemed to imply.

In fact, I would go so far to say that if your pictures have monetary value or you have an ownership interest in them, THEY may have actually been the ones committing a crime here. Additionally, they could potentially be held liable for civil damages.

Again, this is premised on us accepting in full your version of events related to this encounter.

[INIT915 1,119]

I will also add that when I was chief we had a bad fatal accident and when I got on scene there was a gentleman taking photos (there were no photos of the victim only the scene. The State Troopers did confiscate his memory card to look through for evidence, but I was told by them that they could only make a copy and were going to give it back.

If I'm thinking of the case your discussing, his memory card wasn't exactly 'confiscated'. He provided it under consent, so the photos could be printed, and was promptly returned to him. He retained all his pictures, he just in essence provided copies.

[CIG II 1]

I took Tons of Pictures of the Fire Scene I was not asked to delete them. Someone did tell me from Fire Police that I was to delete my pictures and I told them no. My camera my property.. You cant tell me not to take pictures.

Just like any other structure fire or accident or anything, other members of other districts come to take pictures.

I wouldnt of deleted mine..

[INIT915 1,119]

Someone did tell me from Fire Police that I was to delete my pictures and I told them no.

Someone from that agency is opening up some significant liability for their agency. All agencies should educate their fire police, and members in general, on the law to avoid conflicts which could prove costly for the agency.

[x129K 1,393]

The plot thickens!

Someone has a power trip?

[JetPhoto 626]

I have often provided a copy of the photo's to the department in question. Many departments will then put some of them on their website to help promote the work they do.

I was told by a Beacon PO once while taking pictures of a police vehicle involved mva where the officer waobviouslyly driving faster than what was safe to stop taking pictures or I would be arrested and the camera confiscated. I only stopped because I was wearing one of my departments shirts and didn't want to reflecnegativelyly on my department.

Bottom line is stay in the designatcivilianlian area" and remember your camera has a zoom lens and you shouldn't have any problems.