Body Worn Video (BWV) cameras are now being trialed by operational staff in the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The pilot scheme has been brought in with the intent to covertly capture video and audio during duty. There are several volunteers within the service (including workers in the Fire Prevention team) who will be trialing the cameras.
BWV trial use
Area Manager for Operations Support - Dave Teggart said, “There are several reasons we have decided to trial the use of BWV. Having the recordings of incidents will help us learn from the practices we use and improve operational decision-making."
He adds, "It will assist us after incidents with learning and development for our staff, plus capture events that can provide evidence to our fire investigation team, and possibly be used for prevention, or educational messages."
positive impact
Dave Teggart continues, “We’re also hoping it will have a positive impact on anti-social behavior, and increase the confidence of our staff who know they are recording any incidents in front of them.”
The trial is starting with immediate effect with the support of the Fire Authority and representative bodies.