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Inside EMS Podcast: Cameras in ambulances: An in-depth debate

Hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson take the issue further, digging into problems with unnecessary oversight, and practical uses in telemedicine

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In this week’s Inside EMS podcast, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the terrorist attacks in Ottawa, Canada, and the Wash. student gunman who killed one girl and seriously injured four others before shooting himself.

“In these active shooter scenarios we may be some of the first people into the scene, and we need to be prepared for what we may see, and stay on our toes,” Grayson said.

They also commended the N.Y. doctor with Ebola for getting in touch with authorities the minute he experienced symptoms.

Cebollero said the EMS industry needs to prepare for potential Ebola patients, but also needs to maintain perspective.

“More people have been married to Kim Kardashian than have died in the United States from Ebola,” Cebollero said, tongue in cheek.

In the Clinical Issue, they delve deeper into the ‘should there be cameras in the back of ambulances’ debate.

“I don’t like the fact that it’s tantamount to admitting we need Big Brother looking over our shoulders to behave ourselves,” Grayson said.

Cebollero disagreed, saying it comes down to liability issues, and also makes practical sense for telemedicine purposes.

“For the patients that are in the back, we can just plug into the ED,” Cebollero said.

Grayson, however, said it may eventually eliminate the need for medics to make decisions.

“It may start off being a resource … but who knows what it may morph into five or 10 years down the road, where the doctor wants to look at every single call,” Grayson said. “Why trust a paramedic to use his head; I can look at the patient myself.”

Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:

The Inside EMS podcast is a regular expert discussion of hot topics, clinical issues, operational and leadership lessons for EMTs, paramedics and chiefs