The Wicklow County Council proactively reported itself to the Data Protection Commissioner, acknowledging that for an extended duration, unknowingly, the dashboard cameras in appliance cabs at four stations were recording local fire service personnel. The admission came about in a communication with John Brady, a Sinn Féin TD.
The council elaborated that they contracted an external party in 2020 to install dashcams in vehicles stationed in Bray, Greystones, Wicklow Town, and Arklow, as per the request of the station managers for safety purposes. Initially, council officials were oblivious to the fact that these devices could capture in-cab conversations among firefighters.
However, they confirmed that these recordings were archived, with access granted only once on July 31 of the previous year, to recordings from two of the four vehicles. The devices were deactivated and removed from the cabs in April of the current year.
Access to the recordings the prior summer allegedly took place in the context of an unrelated internal probe. In a formal correspondence, the council stated that its data protection officer had notified the Data Protection Commissioner. Additionally, all firefighters, both active and retired, who travelled in said vehicles during this specific period had been notified.
Mr Brady suggests around 30 firefighters have already lodged formal complaints with the Data Protection Commissioner. He also mentions widespread apprehension among service members countywide regarding the council’s justification.
He highlights his worry about a video shared on Facebook in 2019, but originally from early 2018, showcasing footage and audio from a Greystones cab. This video, he argues, challenges the reliability of the council’s timeline and the veracity of its communications with the Data Protection Commissioner.
Mr Brady noted: “The existence of online footage from two years prior indeed seems to discredit the council’s assertions concerning when the installation occurred, the assertion that only one person accessed data on July 31, 2023, and that there was secure data, with a controller guaranteeing that all data was GDPR compliant. This warrants thorough investigation and ministerial attention, as it questions the trustworthiness of what has been communicated to the Data Protection Commissioner.”
“It would be prudent to undertake a complete inquiry into this matter, a job that undeniably falls under the Minister’s purview due to the potential misrepresentation in the information given to the Data Protection Commissioner. I attempted to discuss this with Minister Darragh O’Brien recently, yet he mentioned that it falls on the local council’s shoulders. I have since approached the council for additional inquires and am anticipating their feedback.”
Addressing inquiries concerning the concerns voiced, Wicklow County Council chose to refrain from making a statement. However, Siptu representatives stated they had obtained a similar narrative of the events and had also received reassurances from the council.
Brendan O’Brien, a high-ranking official, expressed that they were now in talks with members of the Wicklow fire service to gauge their perspective on the provided explanation. Following this, a decision regarding their stance on the matter will be made. He mentioned his unawareness regarding the individual firefighters contacting the Data Protection Commissioner, although he wasn’t shocked by the notion of approximately 30 firefighters who may have done so.