this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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[–] CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] godzillabacter@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago (2 children)

EMS communication over unencrypted channels is limited by HIPAA, patient information must be kept vague to protect patient privacy. In the event that, say, an individuals name needs to be given to the receiving facility to facilitate review of records prior to arrival by the ER physician, some other method of communication has to be used.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

It's not a HIPAA violation for a report like this to go over unsecured radio waves:

16 year old male, unresponsive. Suspected alcohol poisoning. EMS required. Address to be provided by emergency services

[–] godzillabacter@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I know, which is why my example was about providing the patient's name over the radio.

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 10 months ago

Does EMS typically provide patient names over the radio? That honestly seems like information that would normally not be needed, or potentially even known.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

They have to keep it vague like that because the channel is open to all. It's a limitation of the system.

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe -1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Off of the top of my head, I can see how an announcement of an open shooter at a location might attract some Meal Team 6 Rambo wanna-be to try and bust in and save the day and making it significantly worse.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I've never heard of this happening. It's probably more for people avoiding police and maybe ambulance chasers.

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

We had a kid cross state lines to show up to a riot with a gun to defend property and shoot people. Just because you haven’t heard about it doesn’t mean it’s not plausible as a valid reason.

[–] ripcord@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

Plausible, but is it likely? Enough to be even remotely worth it...?

[–] gaylord_fartmaster@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

And? Do you think he heard about it from a police radio, and not literally every news outlet that was covering it at the time?

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

You must know that unencrypted police radios have been a upstream source for local media for a long time, right?

And I’m not arguing that encryption is a good idea, in fact I think a blanket encryption of emergency radio is a bad idea (but nuance on social media is invisible).

This thread is simply in answer to an earlier poster who asked for a situation where it could be helpful to protect a sensitive situation and I provided one that we have seen analogs of in real life.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sure, they get some information from radios. They also usually have at least one person at the headquarters at all times. They will know about big events regardless.

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 1 points 10 months ago

I forgot that police have no filters or power in person to be more private in discussions about sensitive topics just because there’s a person at their precinct. All conversations happen wide open just like you get with a police-band scanner. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[–] CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

OK, so something thats never happened before needs to be curtailed?

And even if so, active shooters are rare, do we need to encrypt ALL chatter for something that happens maybe every few years for a given precinct/jurisdiction?

[–] JaymesRS@literature.cafe 1 points 10 months ago

Nope, even never had any sort of analogous situation where armed civilians show up to insert themselves and potentially complicate matters: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/07/13/feature/in-all-reality-there-were-three-shooters-oklahomans-kill-an-active-shooter-and-its-not-as-simple-as-it-sounds/

do we need to encrypt ALL chatter…

I never suggested we did. The original poster referenced a specific context of a “sensitive situation” and you asked for an example, so I provided one that could qualify.