An Oregon EMT disabled ambulance cameras she says recorded patients without notice; days later she was fired and has now filed an $800,000 wrongful-termination lawsuit
A former emergency medical technician in Oregon has taken her former employer to court for $800,000, claiming she was fired after switching off cameras that were secretly recording sick and injured patients inside ambulances.Brittany Martin filed the wrongful termination lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court against Metro West, a private ambulance company serving the Portland area. According to emergency medical news outlet EMS1 and court documents reported by KOIN 6 News, Martin alleges the firm installed cameras inside patient compartments without informing those being transported or obtaining their consent.Attorneys Robert Meyer and Holly Carone filed the case in late June, bringing a growing industry trend surrounding patient privacy and video surveillance into the legal spotlight.
Unwanted audio and video recording
The legal dispute began in late 2025 when a manager emailed employees about a “test phase” for recording treatment inside ambulances. According to court records cited by PetaPixel and EMS1, staff were assured that the trials would involve video only, explicitly excluding audio recording to protect patient privacy.However, when Martin was assigned to a camera-equipped vehicle in February 2026, she discovered the setup went beyond the promised trial. The equipment was positioned to point directly at patients and was actively recording both audio and video.Court documents state that Martin found cameras in both the crew compartment and the rear patient area across different shifts. In both instances, signs were missing, and patients were not alerted that they were being filmed.After raising concerns with supervisors alongside her crew partner and receiving no reply, Martin researched local recording regulations. Believing the practice breached state privacy rights, she covered the camera lenses with tape and disabled the integrated microphones on her assigned rigs.Within days, Metro West launched an investigation into camera tampering. Martin was placed on administrative leave and subsequently sacked. Metro West spokesperson Jesse Lee declined to comment on the allegations or answer questions from KOIN 6 News, citing the active legal proceedings.
Emerging surveillance trends in emergency care
While cameras facing outward or monitoring driver cabs have been standard in emergency transport for over a decade, placing lenses inside patient bays remains rare. According to EMS1, ambulance providers are increasingly turning to interior surveillance to shield themselves from costly malpractice lawsuits and document rising physical assaults against crew members.John Everlove, a Southern California paramedic and legal expert witness quoted by EMS1, noted that footage can help settle disputes quickly.“I’ve got video footage of the totality of the events to be able to either confirm or refute that,” Everlove told EMS1. “And that is invaluable.”Yet, the practice creates severe ethical and legal challenges when applied to vulnerable individuals who may be unconscious, in severe pain, or partially undressed.Geo Henderson, an Albany, New York paramedic and national expert witness in emergency medical services lawsuits, told EMS1 that regulation has failed to keep pace with the technology.“Both the states and the federal government have been slow in really hammering out what’s legal and what’s not,” Henderson said, noting that he will be watching the outcome of Martin’s case closely.
Strict state recording laws
Oregon maintains some of the country’s most stringent privacy statutes regarding unannounced recordings. A legal FAQ guide published by local attorneys and the Oregon State Bar notes that while silent video in public areas is generally permitted, recording in places with a reasonable expectation of privacy is restricted. Furthermore, recording in-person conversations outside the home usually requires the consent of all involved parties.Benjamin Barr, an attorney familiar with state recording statutes, told EMS1 that Oregon law makes secret recordings in ambulances highly questionable.“Should we have cameras to protect patients and providers? Is it too much of an intrusion?” Barr said. “I think it’s a good policy debate for people to have.”Metro West employs roughly 1,400 workers across Oregon, Washington, and northern California, providing non-emergency facility-to-facility transfers in the Portland area as well as medical coverage for major public gatherings like the Portland Marathon and the Prefontaine Classic. Meanwhile, regional emergency provider American Medical Response, which holds the primary contract for 911 calls across Portland, declined to clarify whether it uses patient-facing cameras in its vehicles.
