crime
Fire brigade tests cameras in vehicles
Attacks on emergency services: Can emergency services be better protected by dashcams? photo
© Christoph Soeder/dpa
Last New Year’s Eve there were attacks on emergency services in Berlin. There is discussion about how rescue workers can be better protected. Do cameras serve as a deterrent?
To deter and resolve attacks more quickly The German Fire Brigade Association considers so-called dashcams to be useful for emergency services. These are small cameras that are often mounted behind the windshield.
“Equipping the vehicles with cameras is certainly problem-free. This has already happened in many fire departments, especially professional fire departments,” said association president Karl-Heinz Banse of the German Press Agency. This can be used to film if, for example, an emergency vehicle is attacked or something else happens.
“Body cameras, on the other hand, are more controversial,” said Banse. They are an effective means of proving whether an emergency force has been attacked. “Of course everything is recorded.” However, this circumstance is difficult for some people, for example with regard to personal rights. “It should therefore be up to people to decide whether they want to carry a camera. This should not be instructed.”
Last New Year’s Eve there were riots, especially in Berlin. Men rioted with firecrackers and rockets in several parts of the city. They also threw and shot firecrackers at police officers and firefighters. Before the turn of the year, the topic came back into greater public focus.
Banse believes cameras are only suitable for professional fire departments. This cannot be paid for by the voluntary fire brigades. “Who is supposed to evaluate that with a million volunteer fire brigade members?”