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Why are celebs' 911 calls fair game?

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Communications / Dispatch Article

January 31, 2012


EMS News in Focus
by Art Hsieh

Why are celebs' 911 calls fair game?

The fame, or notoriety, of the 911 caller shouldn't make a difference of the "obligation" of the department to release information

By Art Hsieh

Editor's note: A 911 recording released by LA fire officials revealed frantic efforts by friends of Demi Moore to get help for the actress who was convulsing. Our Editorial Advisor Art Hsieh asks should the recording have been released in the first place?

I don't get the media's fascination with so-called famous people's personal lives.

It appears that in this day and age of paparazzi being the norm, releasing extremely personal information about someone is considered fair game.

Contrary to the statement of the LA city spokesperson, the fame, or notoriety, of the 911 caller shouldn't make a difference of the "obligation" of the department to release information.

We all have crises. No one is perfect. So why do we feel it's perfectly okay to disclose people's weaknesses just because they are a recognized figure in public?

In fact, because someone is so well known, it's virtually impossible to keep that information confidential.

Officials didn't mask enough information to disguise the underlying condition that precipitated the call. How private can that be?

911 calls should remain private, when you can't hide enough details to afford privacy to the caller. It's simply not right to be able to put out such information as a way to make money.

About the author

EMS1 Editorial Advisor Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P currently teaches at the Public Safety Training Center, Santa Rosa Junior College in the Emergency Care Program. In the profession since 1982, Art has worked as a line medic and chief officer in the private, third service and fire-based EMS. He has directed both primary and EMS continuing education programs. A Past President of the National Association of EMS Educators, former Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco Paramedic Association, and a scholarship recipient of the American Society of Association Executives, Art is a published textbook author, has presented at conferences nationwide, and continues to provide patient care at a rural hospital-based ALS system. Contact Art at Art.Hsieh@ems1.com.

Comments
The comments below are member-generated and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EMS1.com or its staff.
Jordan Gaston Jordan Gaston Tuesday, January 31, 2012 6:19:20 PM I agree with your article...the 911 calls should remain private. However, you kinda contraindicated yourself on your own article when you contributed to what you are arguing about in the first place. Posting the 911 call with the article, Really?
Sharon Springer Sharon Springer Tuesday, January 31, 2012 6:29:27 PM I agree, 911 calls should be a included under HIPPA. How would anyone else feel about there 911 call being broad casted to the world...really people, think about it.
Steve Whitehead Steve Whitehead Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:40:48 PM I've never understood this either Art. And it seems we, as the public, feel as if we are privileged to this information. As if it is owed to us. We should be upset when the media uses this information. If the celebrities privacy isn't safe, neither is ours.
Jonathan K. Tullos Jonathan K. Tullos Tue Jan 31 19:44:29 PST 2012 Laws in a lot of places say that 911 recordings are public record and can be obtained by request. Contrary to popular belief, 911 tapes are not covered under HIPAA.
Doc Hawkins Doc Hawkins Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:18:32 PM I believe we have too many laws but in this case one more is needed. 911 Calls should be included in HIPAA.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 10:41:26 PM I believe that all 911 calls, should be considered confidential, and under the HIPAA guidelines. It shouldn't be a matter of who it is calling, everyone has a right to privacy. Confidential information is relayed through that system, so of course, it should not be shared with the public.
Greg Friese Greg Friese Wednesday, February 01, 2012 4:43:38 AM In general the public has little knowledge of what we do and thus little appreciate for the value we contribute to our communities. 911 transcripts and recordings are a glimpse into what we do. Perhaps we should be striving to share more.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012 6:11:19 AM Unless Demi gave her permission to disclose the nature of the call, HIPPA all the way! And I doubt if she wanted her personal life splattered for the media sake!
Wayland Slater Wayland Slater Wednesday, February 01, 2012 8:03:15 AM It should fall under a patient's right to privacy, no matter who it is. Unless there is a warrant signed by a judge, it should remain private.
Richard Berger Richard Berger Wednesday, February 01, 2012 4:14:48 PM Some years before HIPAA, an NYC EMS spokesman "reported" Michal Jackson had been transported for exhaustion. There is still discussion as to if September 11, 2001, calls to 9-1-1 from the Towers, due to the anguish of survivors of those killed, should have been released. Same for releasing the communications tapes of the NYPD and FDNY from that day. While I don't know if actor George Clooney is a friend of Demi Moore or not, I agree with him that 9-1-1 calls should not be released, justbecausee the call involves acelebrityy. I also opine that the audio of any calls to 9-1-1 should NOT be released to the Press Corps without permission of the person(s) involved.
Becki Collins-Jago Becki Collins-Jago Thursday, February 02, 2012 9:26:39 AM HIPPA!
Steve Rowland Steve Rowland Thursday, February 02, 2012 12:12:19 PM We think that because we put them on a pedestal we have the right to knock them off. No one wants what could be the worst day of their life publicized for the vultures to pick at. All that information should be classified so that no one, except for the patient, can release it or otherwise gain access to it.
Ray Kemp Ray Kemp Saturday, February 04, 2012 3:36:11 AM It’s not the media’s fascination as much as it’s our fascination when it comes to celebrities. Look around the checkout stand at any grocery store and you will find a sea of magazines and newspapers all centered on celebrities and their lives. Celebs are quite use to their lives being exposed; it is part of the business they’re in. Releasing 911 tapes is mandated by many State’s open record laws and I for one am glad that these laws exist. Most 911 systems are funded by taxpayers and taxpayers have a right to the accountability of the service they fund. Remember over the years all of those incidents with “bad 911 dispatchers” being exposed as a result of the release of 911 tapes? We were glad they were all canned and if it weren’t for the tapes release to the public, I wonder how many would still be holding their jobs. And for those who love to drop HIPAA bombs, here are a couple facts. One, unless the 911 center is a covered entity as defined at 45 CFR 160.103 of the ruling then HIPAA compliance IS NOT required by the 911 center. And two, if the 911 center is a covered entity and the State’s open record laws mandate the release of 911 tapes, HIPAA does not trump a State’s open record laws per 45 CFR 164.512(a) of the ruling.
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