NG
They went to the fire station to interview a fire chief and head back to the station when a tree fell on their car as they were driving. The area wasn't in an evacuation zone. I agree that I don't think that was a deliberate attempt to put them in danger. I can definitely think of far more situations where field crews have been subjected to much, much more dangerous conditions.
It's a cheap shot, or at the very least, a stretch, to say they died because of our private industry television market.
I'm not sure it's a cheap shot to question the safety training and risk assessment culture of an industry? Particularly when working to a deadline had been used in a previous report, and in an industry that is seen as incredibly commercial.
In the UK we hear some horror stories of US News safety culture - some of it, I'm sure, exaggerated. However when you read of US news crews working on live trucks being electrocuted by masts hitting power lines, and news helicopters crashing into each other, it does raise questions.
Yes - freak accidents do happen, and tragic situations do arise that couldn't reasonably be predicted. What is really important is to learn from them.
There have not been any mast related accidents in years. Same with helicopter crashes - there were two instances in the last decade one collision in Phoenix during a chase and one in Seattle caused by loss of hydraulics during take off. The first crash was caused likely by the pilots not seeing each other and now they evenly space and fly at different altitudes. And with the new high definition and smaller zoom lens pilots can be a mile or more away from a crash.
There have been both since I started in the industry... One wonders whether technology changes - LiveU/WMT and SNG, and longer lenses on helicopters, are the reasons there have been fewer of late, rather than improved safety training and risk assessment culture.
noggin
Founding member
They went to the fire station to interview a fire chief and head back to the station when a tree fell on their car as they were driving. The area wasn't in an evacuation zone. I agree that I don't think that was a deliberate attempt to put them in danger. I can definitely think of far more situations where field crews have been subjected to much, much more dangerous conditions.
It's a cheap shot, or at the very least, a stretch, to say they died because of our private industry television market.
I'm not sure it's a cheap shot to question the safety training and risk assessment culture of an industry? Particularly when working to a deadline had been used in a previous report, and in an industry that is seen as incredibly commercial.
In the UK we hear some horror stories of US News safety culture - some of it, I'm sure, exaggerated. However when you read of US news crews working on live trucks being electrocuted by masts hitting power lines, and news helicopters crashing into each other, it does raise questions.
Yes - freak accidents do happen, and tragic situations do arise that couldn't reasonably be predicted. What is really important is to learn from them.
There have not been any mast related accidents in years. Same with helicopter crashes - there were two instances in the last decade one collision in Phoenix during a chase and one in Seattle caused by loss of hydraulics during take off. The first crash was caused likely by the pilots not seeing each other and now they evenly space and fly at different altitudes. And with the new high definition and smaller zoom lens pilots can be a mile or more away from a crash.
There have been both since I started in the industry... One wonders whether technology changes - LiveU/WMT and SNG, and longer lenses on helicopters, are the reasons there have been fewer of late, rather than improved safety training and risk assessment culture.