Vehicle Camera System

Effective:          04-24-23

Supersedes:    

Policy  

Vehicle operators are expected to operate in a safe and lawful fashion, exercising due regard for safety.   Maintaining these safety principles promotes a safe work environment for all team members, patients, and the general public.  As part of our overall risk reduction and quality assurance program, an in-vehicle camera technology system is being installed in vehicles across to the fleet. 

Team members shall not tamper with, nor allow others to tamper with the camera.  This includes repositioning the device, obstructing the view of the forward or rear-facing camera, or disconnecting the power connections. 

Purpose

The goal of the camera initiative is to provide a means for both real-time and retroactive driver feedback, assist with crash (or near-miss) incident review, and to protect the operator and company from false allegations.  When opportunities for improvement are identified, the footage can be used to complement training curriculum and remediation at both an individual and organizational level.

System Components

Camera:          The Driveri® fleet vehicle dash safety camera system is mounted on the windshield behind the rear-view mirror of select company vehicles.  The devices are equipped with both forward and rear-facing cameras.  While the devices have the capability to record audio, that feature is not currently enabled.  As part of the daily vehicle checkout, team members must report any apparent malfunctions, damage, or theft of a vehicle camera to a Supervisor prior to placing the unit into service.    

Key Fob:          Team members whose job duties include operating a company vehicle will be issued a fob device which is considered a required piece of equipment when on duty.  The key fob is issued to an individual and should not be loaned to another team member.  The person operating a vehicle equipped with a camera must “log in” via his company issued Driver ID key fob upon each start-up of the vehicle.

In the rare case when a driver has not been issued a fob, such as when a firefighter is operating the vehicle, a team member must sign in utilizing their ID.  The Communications Section should be notified whenever a non-company individual is operating the vehicle.  During the review process, any alerts attributed to the team member that is logged in, but not operating the vehicle can be modified so as not to negatively affect the team-member’s score.

Alerts:              When the vehicle is being driven, the road facing camera records and generates real-time audio safety alerts to assist the driver.  The video system uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect and categorize a number of potential triggers, such as:

Vehicle operators also have the option of pressing a button on bottom of the camera or a button on the key fob (when in close proximity to the running vehicle) to manually trigger an event.  This may be useful when you witness an incident involving another vehicle or a situation that would not normally trigger an automatic alert.  The system will save approximately 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after the manual button is activated for review. 

Recordings

Alerts and video footage will be sent to a team designated by the Chief Administrative Officer and Fleet Manager for review.  Further access is approved on an incident by incident basis. 

Once access is approved by the designated responsible person, recorded footage may be reviewed by the appropriate Operations Manager, Area Supervisor or driver trainer as required.

Upon review, incidents that initially prompted a trigger may be found to be appropriate.   For example, a “hard braking” trigger may have been prompted by another driver suddenly drifting into our lane.  This can be noted in the software so it does not negatively affect the driver’s score or report card. 

Dissemination of video outside of the Company is prohibited except as required by law, court order, or with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer or Chief Operating Officer.