Ambulance Worker Sues After Being Fired for Disabling Cameras That Filmed Patients Without Consent
An EMT worker, who says she turned off cameras pointed at patients in the back of ambulances, has filed an $800,000 lawsuit – claiming she was fired for protecting the privacy of patients who were unaware they were being filmed.
Brittany Martin, a former emergency medical technician for Metro West — which provides ambulance services across Portland, Oregon — filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court against her previous employer last month.
According to emergency medical news outlet EMS1, Martin claims that the privately owned ambulance company began installing cameras in late 2025 or early 2026. However, patients were not informed that they were about to be video and audio recorded. Her lawsuit says she believed that these cameras in the patient compartments of ambulances violated Oregon law.
Experts tell EMS1 that cameras installed inside ambulance patient compartments remain uncommon, but the practice appears to be growing as ambulance providers face increasing legal risks and look for ways to protect themselves from costly lawsuits.
In court documents cited by KOIN 6 News, Martin says she received an email from her manager in late 2025 informing employees that the company planned to begin installing video cameras in some of its rigs and vans as part of a “test phase” where patient treatment would be recorded. The manager also reportedly said that in an effort to protect patient privacy, only video would be recorded.
In February, Martin says that when she and her partner were assigned one of the rigs outfitted with cameras, she noticed they were pointed at patients and recording audio in addition to video. Martin says she and her partner each reached out to their supervisors to report their concerns and ask for clarity, but never heard back.
After researching local laws, Martin says she believed the video and audio recordings could violate patient privacy protections. She covered the camera in her assigned vehicle and disabled the microphone. She also claims that the company had not added signs notifying patients that cameras were present and that management continued to ignore employee concerns about privacy. In the complaint, Martin says she was attempting to protect patient privacy by disabling the cameras from recording interactions during medical transport.
A few days later, Martin says she was contacted by a supervisor about an investigation into the camera being disabled and tampered with. She was subsequently placed on administrative leave and later terminated. Jesse Lee, a spokesperson for Metro West Ambulance, declined to comment or answer questions from KOIN 6 News, citing the ongoing litigation.
The legal action comes after an anxious travel consultant working from home for a British travel company successfully sued the company for discrimination after it made her turn on her camera during meetings.
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