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Law Enforcement
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Documenting disaster
Video unit captures California wildfires
Jan 3, 2008
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by By Alicia Zappier
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Life in southern California sounds dreamy, with its reputation of pristine beaches, balmy year-round temperatures, and everlasting blue skies. But in October, California showed its darker side when wildfires rumbled through thousands of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes in San Diego County.
The San Diego Police Video Unit, a four-person team that produces dozens of training and informational videos for the San Diego Police Department each year, was called in during the disaster. “Our job was to document the San Diego Police Department’s involvement during the fires and how law enforcement, fire, and other emergency agencies worked together during this devastating event,” said Steve Farthing, unit supervisor.
Farthing called the wildfires a terrifying event for San Diego County. “Only four years ago we were saying we would never see this again in our lifetime,” he recalled, “and here we were immersed in the same situation once again.” The shoot itself was demanding, as Farthing and his team not only had to conquer the typical obstacles that accompany an outdoor shoot, but also had to consider the particularly harsh weather conditions here when acquiring certain shots.
“It was a challenge to shoot wearing bulky masks and goggles in 60-mile-per-hour winds with flames all around us, but the adrenaline kicked in and somehow we able to get the shots without injury,” Farthing said. “Though, there were a few times where we had to put down our cameras and grab a garden hose to defend a few homes.
“But our equipment held up well. Although the cameras encountered some pretty heavy smoke and soot, there were no failures, head clogs, or tape jams.” The unit uses Sony, Canon, and Panasonic cameras, with a mix of Beta SP and DV formats.
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| Members of the San Diego Police Video Unit that documented the wildfires this year include (from left) Officer Brad Ruff, multimedia specialist Lee Anne Dillingham, Officer Cysco Torrez, and video unit supervisor Steve Farthing. Photo by Gary Hassen and Lee Anne Dillingham. |
Farthing, who manages all aspects of the unit, is also responsible for producing an in-house, 10-minute show called Newswatch, which highlights topics such as office safety issues and recaps major local events as well as messages from the police chief. His team is staff is a mix of civilians and police officers.
Civilian Lee Anne Dillingham is the unit’s media production specialist. She also produces a monthly show called Legal Update, a 10-minute program that informs patrol officers and detectives of important legal issues relating to their daily encounters. Dillingham also manages the unit’s prodigious library of videotapes and raw footage.
Officer Brad Ruff is the forensic video analyst, responsible for all forensic analysis for the department (and other agencies, when requested). Proficient in Cognitech’s Video Investigator, Ruff also manages several systems that are installed in substations throughout the San Diego Police Department for investigators to use.
Network supervisor Officer Cysco Torres manages the law enforcement/fire safety training channel called the PSTN Network. It originates from the Police Video Unit and is broadcasted to two cable companies, which re-broadcast it throughout San Diego County. Torres also assists with video productions.
During the wildfires, the team worked 12-hour days for several days and wore special uniforms so they could easily be identified as police video personnel. “We ended up with more than eight hours of raw footage, which is going to be used for an after-action report,” Farthing said. “An eight-minute Newswatch program has already been produced and will be distributed to local cable stations and Internet sites.”
Housed in the San Diego Police headquarters building, the Police Video Unit was born 20 years ago and has covered a variety of events including the Republic National Convention and the International Association of Chief of Police Convention. The footage acquired from these events is used for debriefing, after-action reports, training, and archival purposes.
MORE INFO
Canon usa.canon.com
Cognitech congnitech.com
Panasonic panasonic.com/broadcast
Sony sony.com/government
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