EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — For many who work at a fire station, it's a home away from home.
“We literally live there on these long shifts, where we're responding to 911 calls, you know, with a smile on our face with, 'How can we help you?'” said Bella Mason, an EMT at El Cajon Fire Station 8.
The grueling job fosters a great deal of trust among coworkers — but it's a trust that has been broken.
“One of my coworkers texted me and he asked me, ‘Do you have a camera in our room?’ And obviously I'm like, 'no.' And so he sent me a picture, and he was like, 'I thought maybe you had it in here, maybe to like watch your stuff. I just found this.' Immediately ... I just felt sick,” said Mason.
What Mason thought was a block for a phone charger was actually a camera that was recording everything.
“And that camera is motion-activated, which means every single time I was coming in there, like in a vulnerable space, somebody was watching me. I haven't been in that room since,” said Mason.
Immediately, Mason called a supervisor, who brought in the police.
Later, another camera hidden in an alarm clock was found in a different bunkroom used by women.
“And since then, the only thing that they have done for us is offer to move us to different stations; but we didn't do anything. I feel like we shouldn't be kicked from our spots,” said Mason.
As part of the investigation, police executed a search warrant to try and find out who was logged on to the WiFi, but no suspect was found.
Four women at the station filed a claim, citing the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
“Employers are supposed to find out why this happened, how this could have happened; is there training that should have been provided?” said Dan Gilleon, the lawyer representing the women.
Heartland Fire and Rescue Department and American Medical Response provide the fire and ambulance services at the station.
AMR called the incident “deeply disturbing,” and added, “We fully understand how violating and unsettling this must be for the women involved, and we are committed to supporting them through this incredibly difficult situation.”
They also said, “American Medical Response (AMR) is fully committed to ensuring that all our employees have workspaces where they feel safe and supported. Although AMR does not manage the facility where this occurred, we are committed to working with the City, law enforcement and the fire department to address this situation. Our role, at this point, is to provide support for our team members and ensure they feel safe and heard. AMR immediately offered affected personnel the opportunity to transfer to other locations without impact to schedule, pay or other employment conditions to ensure they feel secure while on-the-job. We also offered support from our mental health provider. We are committed to working with local law enforcement and the city of El Cajon to assist in any way we can, while respecting the criminal investigation.”
AMR said they provided mental health services and offered to transfer the women but did not say if they were conducting their own investigation.
The women said they want to move forward to a solution, but they can't shake the feeling of being betrayed
“That's our home, that's our family, and to know that somebody that I work with closely ... it's so violating,” said Mason.
The four women are seeking $10,000 each for reasons including emotional distress, psychological treatment, and humiliation.
So far, the person or people suspected in the case still have not been found.
Heartland Fire referred ABC 10News to the City of El Cajon, and a city official said this is an open criminal investigation being handled by the police department, so they cannot comment at this time.
