Five Heartland Fire/Rescue Personnel File Suit Over Secret Station Recordings

Five emergency medical personnel assigned to El Cajon’s Heartland Fire & Rescue Station 8 have filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court alleging they were secretly recorded in their bunkroom and that city and agency officials failed to investigate the misconduct.

The plaintiffs—paramedics Morgan Donnelly and Tristan Hardin, and EMTs Isabella Mason, Alex Roehr, and Claire Warrenfelt—filed the complaint on September 17, 2025 against the City of El Cajon, Heartland Fire & Rescue Joint Powers Authority, American Medical Response, Inc., and American Medical Response of San Diego, Inc.

According to the complaint, the defendants learned on or about February 2, 2025 that one or more employees had used concealed cameras to secretly videotape, photograph, and record personnel “in states of full and partial undress” inside their bunkrooms, which served as bedrooms and changing areas. The plaintiffs allege the recordings were made “for the purpose of viewing their bodies and undergarments.”

The suit asserts that despite learning of the conduct, the defendants “failed and refused to comply with their legally mandated duty to conduct an investigation” under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), instead delegating the matter to law enforcement. The complaint states that while a police investigation focuses on criminal punishment, the FEHA requires an employer investigation to ensure remedial action and prevent further harm.

The plaintiffs allege two causes of action:

• Hostile work environment sexual harassment under Government Code § 12940(j); and
• Failure to prevent harassment and discrimination under Government Code § 12940(k).

They claim the defendants’ failure to act left them fearing that their images may have been disseminated and that “their fears may never be alleviated.” The complaint states that this has made their workplace “so abusive and objectively and subjectively offensive that a hostile work environment has been created.”

The plaintiffs seek special and general damages, attorney’s fees, and costs of court, alleging ongoing emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of earnings. Here is a copy of the complaint.