Nimishillen Township firefighter Darrjan Van Wyk gets ready to enter the burn trailer at a training event for area female firefighters in Green.
El Cajon, California – A third hidden camera has been discovered at a fire station in El Cajon, deepening a scandal that has already prompted legal complaints and public outrage over privacy violations and the city’s handling of the investigation.
City officials confirmed late Thursday that the camera was found earlier this week in a co-ed dayroom and turned over to El Cajon police. While they declined to disclose which station was involved, multiple sources told reporters that the latest device was uncovered at Fire Station 9. This follows the February discovery of two hidden cameras inside women’s bunkrooms at Fire Station 8.
Four female EMTs who work at Station 8 filed legal claims earlier this year, alleging the City of El Cajon, American Medical Response (AMR), and Heartland Fire and Rescue failed to conduct a timely and thorough investigation. The women say the cameras were installed in private areas where they slept and changed clothes — spaces they considered safe in an already high-stress profession.
“This just proves everything we’ve been saying,” said Bella Mason, one of the original complainants. “It’s not just about our case anymore — this is clearly a bigger issue. I don’t feel safe at work, and that’s something no first responder should have to say.”
Mason said she was interviewed only once by police after discovering the first camera and has received few updates since. She criticized AMR for not notifying staff about the earlier incident until this week, when the third camera came to light. “I feel like we’ve been ignored. And now here we are — it’s happening again.”
In response, AMR released a statement Friday saying it had begun using surveillance detection devices and was informing all staff of the situation to prevent further violations. “We are taking steps to ensure employee security while cooperating with the ongoing investigation,” the statement said.
Attorney Dan Gilleon, who represents Mason and three other EMTs, confirmed Friday that a fifth person — a male EMT — has joined the complaint after resigning last month. Gilleon reiterated his concerns that the city has not taken appropriate action. “Predators operate in silence and inaction,” he said. “The longer the city delays, the more vulnerable these employees remain.”
California Assemblymember David Alvarez called the incidents “horrifying” and pointed to them as justification for his proposed legislation that would allow law enforcement to access hidden surveillance devices without a warrant.
Meanwhile, Mason and her colleagues remain emotionally shaken and frustrated by what they see as a betrayal by their employer. “We serve our communities with everything we have,” she said. “We deserve better than silence.”
