A state senator has introduced a law that requires Illinois ambulance workers to wear body cameras in the line of duty.
Senate Bill 1306 was introduced by State Senator Doris Turner. She said the idea came to her after the death of a Springfield resident who was tied to a stretcher by ambulance workers face down.
“About a month ago in Springfield, we saw the situation with Mr. Earl Moore. If it wasn’t for the police cameras, we would never have known what really happened in that house and beyond and what led to the death of the patient,” Turner said.
Turner said that police body cameras have proved to be a successful innovation, and she believes that the same can be achieved for ambulance workers.
“We’ve seen how it works. This innovation is extremely useful for both the police and society,” Turner said. — I think that soon we will see the same situation with body cameras for ambulance workers.”
Ted Lee, an EMS expert for Clarion Fire & Rescue Group, said that while some workers may feel like they are being watched by an “older brother” or the footage may be used against them, cameras can protect workers themselves in certain situations.
“The use of cameras can help protect ambulance specialists from unfounded complaints about the crews, because the cameras will provide a truthful picture of events. We expect that now patients and their relatives will also be more circumspect in their communication with emergency workers and will think twice before allowing unacceptable communication and even aggression against doctors,” Lee said.
“We have submitted a bill, and it is still going through the approval process by the committee, so I am absolutely sure that we will have a lot of time to prepare ambulance staff for all innovations. I’m looking forward to working with them so that we end up with a great plan that will benefit everyone,” Turner said.