Probe launched after Vallejo firefighter damages news equipment
(Photo courtesy Geoffrey King for OpenVallejo.org)
By: Solano NewsNet staff
The fire chief of the Vallejo Fire Department says the agency is investigating an incident in which a firefighter damaged news equipment used by Solano NewsNet on Thursday.
The incident happened while firefighters from multiple agencies were on the scene of a three-alarm commercial tow yard fire that ignited near the intersection of Broadway and Sharon Street.
The fire sent a large plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles, according to eyewitness photographs posted to social media.
Firefighters quickly contained the blaze, and the fire was deemed under control just before 7 p.m., according to radio dispatches reviewed by Solano NewsNet.
Shortly after the fire was knocked down, a firefighter sprayed a Solano NewsNet journalist who was filming from the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. The spray damaged a camera used to film the scene, causing it to malfunction.
Video footage captured by Solano NewsNet and photographs obtained from the scene showed the photographer was not in an active fire area where the incident occurred, and nothing immediately nearby was smoldering at the time.
“We understand a firefighter’s first obligation is to public safety, not to the news media,” Matthew Keys, the publisher of Solano NewsNet, said in a statement. “Still, California law enshrines the news media’s right to access the scene of an emergency, even when it is closed to the public.”
On Thursday, Vallejo Fire Department Chief Kyle Long said the agency had launched an internal investigation into the matter.
“We take this incident seriously and are looking into it,” Long said in an email. “I will personally be speaking with the Battalion Chief on-duty to get more information.”
Keys said a replacement camera has been ordered and should be put into service next week. In the meantime, the news outlet will cover breaking news stories and other matters of public interest using other equipment.
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