They allow you to see your home in realtime from anywhere. But what if you werent the only one watching . Theres an important security hole you need to know about, or youll risk broadcasting your private life to a stranger. Kevin this is her inner home. I can see her living room, dining room, kitchen, everything. And im like, this is totally disturbing and not right. And shes totally oblivious. Vicky kevin schuh doesnt know who this woman is or why he suddenly had a window into her world, and it appears she had no idea she was being watched. So creepy. Kevin its totally creepy. I was like, this could have been my sisters, could have been my mom, you know. So, i was like, we need to tell people about this. Vicky kevin says he bought a canary Security Camera from amazon, but decided it wasnt the right one, so he returned it. About a month later, he received an alert, and his inbox filled up with video clips recorded in this womans home. They were automatically saved and emailed. Kevin i assumed she would press a button and it would reset, and id be cut off. Vicky but he wasnt, and with no way to talk to the woman who now had the camera, kevin contacted canary. Kevin i had to go through all thisthese hoops i had to jump through to finally disconnect the camera from my account. Vicky and that was the only way you would stop seeing her . Kevin yeah, and after that, then i couldnt see her, but i had to do it. Apparently, she couldnt do it herself, and canary couldnt do it. Vicky this is a littleknown safety concern with some used cameras that can connect to the internet. The previous owner can see the new one. Kevin says he repacked his camera, so it may have looked unopened. He doesnt know if amazon resold it as new or used. Kevin theres a major gap in the security process. Vicky we wanted to know if this could happen with other home Security Cameras too. So, we bought several brands, including this zmodo ezcam from frys electronics. I set up the camera to send me an alert any time it detected motion. Then i marked the box with an invisible ink pen, and returned it to frys. A day later, my producer purchased that same camera. No one resealed it, and it was sold as new. Male i was charged full price. Vicky he checked for the ink mark, then tried to set it up. Male it says plug in and power on the device. Vicky but he received a warning. Male it will not connect, telling me that this device is already linked to another account. Vicky so, even though its warning him that this account is linked to someone else, im still able to see it. So, i just got an alert right now that motion was detected on the camera. So, every time he moves, im getting an alert on my phone, and im seeing him. Its recording an image. It wasnt just the zmodo. Male we found a few security holes. Vicky elon jacob runs the Security Firm sherlock surveillance. He tested three other cameras we purchased made by nest, amcrest, and netgear. He says nest did not allow a previous owner to accidentally see the new user, but the amcrest did. He says it can even be controlled remotely. And so, the prior user not only has access to see you, but they can actually direct the camera . Elon jacob they can, yes. Vicky he also found security concerns with the arlo made by netgear. Elon as soon as i plugged it in, the prior setup that i had completely worked. Vicky so, we went to netgear in san jose. They lead the market with more than 4 million arlo cameras sold worldwide. Naveen changani we at netgear, i think were definitely taking this as a very serious thing. Vicky naveen changani is a product manager. He says netgear takes several measures to ensure this doesnt happen to its users. Naveen well, we have a very strict policy here. We do not allow our resellers to resell used cameras. Vicky netgear requires stores to send back any arlos that have been returned so they can be reset by the factory. The arlos also have a reset button. That allows you to kick off a previous owner if you decide to buy a used arlo online. Amcrest has a similar policy. The Company Tells us it learned about this concern last year, and immediately updated its firmware to close the loophole. Zmodo, which makes the camera we tested, said used cameras are supposed to be reset before being resold. But as we found, that doesnt always happen. Canary said it also requires retailers to send back any used cameras so it can wipe the devices history and recertify it. After a day of back and forth with canary customer support, kevin was able to disconnect his account and stop recording videos of this woman. What would you want to say to her if you could . Kevin beware, you know, when you buy this stuff. You need to be careful. Vicky hes now sounding the alarm so Security Camera users can secure their cameras. Frys Electronics Says its their policy to mark all used cameras so buyers know if the products been opened. Thats typically what we saw at the stores we visited. Amazon said it was researching how that used canary camera ended up getting resold. Now, many of the cameras we tested will display some sort of message if theyve been used, but as you saw with our experiment, even if you get that message, you could still be broadcasting yourself. Weve posted a list of tips for how to set up these devices safely. Thats all on our website at nbcbayarea. Com. Announcer coming up next, what if your doctor sexually abused a patient, or made a serious mistake in the operating room . Would you want to know . The state medical board says in many cases, youre actually better off not knowing. We investigate, just ahead. To investigate and discipline doctors throughout the state is basically on life support. Our past reporting revealed serious concerns about how california lets some doctors off the hook, even when their errors might have hurt or even killed a patient. Now, efforts to reform the agency have put the medical boards entire future in jeopardy. Eric my sister was dead. Bigad overcome with pain and anger, eric andress described the loss of his sister callie while testifying at a recent government hearing at the state capitol. Eric she too was dead from gross medical errors. Bigad he and a long line of others shared stories of grief over what they described as poor medical care. Female my father died. So, how is this minor . Bigad much of the blame focused on a lack of oversight by the california medical board, the state Agency Responsible for investigating complaints about doctors. Female after the investigation, i felt like i was a victim again. Bigad the medical board receives more than 8,000 complaints each year. But even when investigators determined a doctor did something wrong, it usually takes more than 900 days after a complaint is filed for those physicians to face any kind of discipline. And nearly all of them continue to practice in the meantime. Could the california medical board be doing more to protect patients . Jerry hill absolutely. Bigad that board is set to expire at the end of the year. So, senator jerry hill of san mateo authored legislation to keep it alive and reform the nowtroubled agency. His bill would also require doctors to tell their patients if theyve been put on probation. That information already gets posted on the medical boards website, but its up to patients to find it. Of californias more than 110,000 doctors, 609 are on probation. Their offenses include deadly medical errors, drug use, and Sexual Assault against patients. Jerry those doctors have a 30 , historically a 30 recidivism rate. Bigad but the executive director of the medical board, kim kirchmeyer, testified that her colleagues on the board, mostly physicians appointed by the governor, believe forcing every doctor to disclose their probation status would do more harm than good. Kim kirchmeyer they didnt want it to interfere with the patientphysician relationship that was happening. Bigad if doctors are worried their relationship with patients could be damaged, isnt the best solution for doctors then to avoid the actions that got them on probation to begin with, rather than just keeping this all secret from patients . Jerry well, absolutely, and the part thats most disturbing is that when a doctor goes on probation, they have to notify the hospital theyre affiliated with, they have to notify their insurance company. But they dont have to notify the most important part of the healthcare continuum, which is the patient. Bigad in april, the medical board softened its stance, saying it now supports doctors disclosing their probation status to patients, but only for certain violations. That means doctors could still keep some medical mistakes hidden, even if those errors proved deadly. Michelle veverka the system was set up to fail. Bigad and the medical board continues to face criticism over how it disciplines doctors. Investigator michelle veverka testified that what is supposed to be a team effort between the states medical board and Attorney Generals Office hasnt been at all. Michelle we had to investigate these matters and prosecute these matters being in two separate agencies. It has made it very difficult and very cumbersome. Bigad we exposed that breakdown last year, when we introduced you to mario and ludmila guzman. Mario was an avid runner, who says a misdiagnosis by his doctor left him a multiple amputee. Male what are those feelings . Mario guzman anger. Anger. Bigad the medical board recommended his doctor be disciplined, but the ags office decided not to pursue the case, citing insufficient evidence. Ludmila guzman i wonder what more evidence do you need. Bigad the couple also testified at that recent hearing in sacramento. Mario i spent months seeing my limbs fall off my body. And the doctor that harmed me has a spotless record. Bigad despite the emotional plea, lawmakers still havent reached an agreement on how to reform the california medical board. Unless lawmakers can scramble to get a plan on the governors desk by september 15, the Watchdog Agency will be dismantled at the end of the year. So, is this a loss for patients across california . Jerry absolutely, this is a loss for patients across california. There are some in the legislature that would rather support and protect doctors than patients. Bigad hill says his legislation would force the worst offending doctors to disclose their probation to patients. Thats about 240 doctors. Now, other lawmakers pushed a less restrictive plan that would only require about a quarter of those physicians to tell their patients about their probation. Since the two sides refuse to budge, lawmakers are now back at square one. Announcer firefighters risk their lives to keep us safe, often hiding the emotional pain caused by their jobs. Up next, we reveal the results of our 6month investigation that show the stress is taking more of a toll than you might realize. Lives than died in the line of duty last year. The alarming statistic puts a spotlight on Mental Health in the fire service. We surveyed hundreds of firefighters, and found many are struggling in silence. They say the conversation about ptsd is especially important now after oaklands ghost ship fire. [sirens wailing] female can any unit advise . Male this is 3adam19. Liz the night of the ghost ship fire, crews worked hard to tame the flames. Male theyre requesting additional units, and there are some people that are unaccounted for. Liz but as the smoke cleared and the shifts changed, lieutenant George Freelen knew the harder work was still to come. George there was a challenging assignment that first morning. Male should contact the coroners office, copy . Liz freelen and his fellow firefighters recovered 9 of the 36 bodies from the charred rubble. George it was very sad. And you know, it was tragic to have to take these innocent victims and see them in their last moments of their life, and then zip them up in a body bag. Liz freelen completed the assignment, and headed back to station 13 just down the street from the warehouse, where he ran more calls into the night. George a young girls dad passed away in his sleep. And worst part of our job of delivering bad news, i had to do to that young girl. Liz he says that call triggered something inside that told him he wasnt okay. The breaking point is different for every firefighter. Most are exposed to ongoing trauma over 30year careers. Our investigation found the stress is taking a toll, more than the public might realize. With help from the california professional firefighters and the International Association of firefighters, we developed a confidential online survey. We wanted to reach the rank and file in departments serving 25 large california cities, most in the bay area. We didnt hear from everyone, but received more than 700 responses. Seventyseven percent say the stressful experiences caused unresolved emotional issues, mostly unwanted memories. Fourteen percent of those who responded say they had thoughts of suicide. But the results also suggest overwhelmingly stigma creates a barrier to seeking help. George i want ladders out and then hose. Two groups. Go, go, go. Whip it through. Second man, lets go. Liz freelen is trying to change that mentality in future firefighters. George lock one side for sure. Good, good, good. Liz he shares with these College Students that he did what generations before him were sometimes too proud to do. He contacted a counselor. George you know, i try not to be embarrassed, but its an educational thing to learn. Liz he made the call to oaklands Employee Assistance program. Most cities have a network of therapists to assist struggling workers. But our survey found half the firefighters who used the program did not find the services helpful. If firefighters cant depend on the Services Available to them, what are they supposed to do . Mike duree thats a fantastic question, and that is the core driving question as to why we wanted to bring this issue out of the shadows. Liz mike duree is the president of the california fire chiefs association. Mike well, i will tell you, having looked at the results of your survey, i thought it was remarkable because it told me intuitively what i already believe. Male now, we have to address this. Liz now, labor and management are coming together to make Mental Health a priority. Male where this member is not making sense anymore. Liz and the unions are training firefighters to support their peers. They say that will make a bigger difference than the department debriefs that only happen after major incidents. Chris foley people are talking about it. Liz captain chris foley is leading the effort in oakland. Chris theres no middle ground right now, and thats something that wed like to see established. Liz to find out what has been established, we sent questionnaires to Fire Department administrators. We heard back from 20, most in the bay area. Half dont have guidelines about how to help struggling firefighters. More than a third dont cover Behavioral Health in their fire academies. Are you in a position to be able to lean on some of these fire chiefs that might be a little more hesitant to actually put these programs in place and to invest . Mike im certainly in a position that i can have conversations with them about the importance of this issue. Every one of them have had the same response, and that is its a good thing were talking about this. Its about time we start to address this issue. Liz lieutenant George Freelen is still on the job at station 13. George these are all the letters that came to this station. Liz and still grappling with the task he was called on to perform at the ghost ship warehouse. George it justit touched me, and i know it touched a lot of my firefighters to see people reach out that wed never met. Liz hes processing his pain and making great strides, thanks to a place he never thought hed be, therapy. George once you do it, you cant really back out. Liz youre in this now. George im in this. Imyeah, im kneedeep in this now. Liz the industry is now developing best practices about how to approach Mental Health. The labor Group California professional firefighters recently sponsored legislation to create peer support teams. Now, if youd like to see the results of our survey, we posted them in full on our website. Just head to nbcbayarea. Com investigations. Announcer coming up next. We investigate a cancer causing chemical that many people dont know is in Drinking Water throughout california. Earlier this year, we reported that 700,000 people here in california are exposed to contaminated water at home or school. In addition to that, we found 94 different public Water Systems also carrying problematic levels of the chemical called 1,2,3tcp. Scientists have determined that a lifetimes exposure to that chemical significantly raises your risk of developing cancer. Stephen 1,2,3tcp, or trichloropropane, was once used as a solvent and degreaser. Since the 1940s, the chemical was also part of a pesticide manufactured by dow chemical and shell. 1,2,3tcp was taken off the market in the 1980s, but washed into groundwater, where it remains to this day. Todd this is a tragedy. Stephen todd robins is an attorney who focuses solely on safe Drinking Water issues. Todd theres really no other contaminant that is believed to be as potent a carcinogen and as dangerous to people other than dioxin. Stephen this seems almost outrageous that in 2017, people are Drinking Water with stuff that can kill them. Todd it is, i think that its a pretty dirty little secret that a state as prosperous as california has so many Water Quality problems. Stephen we reviewed california Water Quality data, and we found 94 different public Water Systems that have levels of 1,2,3tcp that Scientists Say are unsafe. Three public systems in san mateo county, one in santa cruz county, and one in Monterey County all show these high levels. Sixtyfour other public Water Systems in the Central Valley had tcp in their Drinking Water. Although there havent been studies on tcps direct effect on humans, scientists in 2009 determined that it causes cancer in lab animals. Ray cano theres been a lot of people that died of cancer, so you know, my dad included. Stephen that data does not count individual wells serving communities where people like ray cano live. Ray i dont know, weve got to die some way, i guess. Stephen perhaps most disturbing, cano and his neighbors in fresno countys tombstone territory did not know they were using this tainted water until the activist Group Leadership counsel for justice accountability told them. Amanda monaco its a grave injustice, and i wanted to help fix that. Stephen amanda monaco is an attorney with the leadership counsel. Amanda theres Political Action being taken to make sure that people who live in other places can have clean Drinking Water. But those priorities do not apply here. Stephen does that anger you . Ray i think ive just come to accept it as status quo. Stephen across the street, 4yearold natalia garcias mother carolina worries their water could eventually kill them. Carolina garcia yes, i am worried because we use the water to cook, and we use it to bathe the kids in it. Stephen what scares you the most about her future . Carolina i worry that it somehow might affect her as she gets older, when shes older. Shes likein fact, my kids get sick often, and sometimes i dont know if its because of the water, but thats what i worry about. Bill walker and agriculture generally gets its way in california. Its very, very powerful. Stephen bill walker with the Environmental Working Group helped author this justreleased report showing the wide impact of 1,2,3tcp in places like the Central Valley. Bill and it was an ingredient in two pesticides that were so widelyused that you find this stuff now all over the san joaquin valley. Todd well, i put the blame for that primarily on dow and shell, the chemical companies, because they marketed these products for decades. Stephen since 2005, 43 different lawsuits have been filed against dow and shell. A jury awarded 22 million to the city of clovis in one case. In another case involving the city of redlands, a jury sided with the chemical companies. Shell and dow settled out of court in eight other suits. In their legal filings, both companies contend that since the state has not set a legal allowable level of tcp, they shouldnt be held liable for its cleanup. Has the state of california waited too long to come to a standard here . Bill i think one of the things thats most disturbing is to look at the amount of time that it often takes to get a legal limit set in california, and to realize that when you look at the whole nation, california is the gold standard. We do better than anybody else. Stephen but wouldnt you agree the state has taken far too long to get to this point . Todd i do think the state has taken too long to get to this point. This is a classic case of environmental injustice. There is no doubt about it. Stephen both dow and Shell Chemical companies did not return our request for a comment on this story. But they have said publicly in the past there is no proof that 1,2,3tcp is a human carcinogen, or that humans have ever been harmed by it. Now, after our story first aired, state water control board officials finally did agree to set a maximum allowable legal limit for 1,2,3tcp for Drinking Water throughout california. Its the first state anywhere to set any kind of limit for tcp. Now, if you have a story for us, call our tip line at 888996tips, or you can send us an email to theunit nbcbayarea. Com. Thats our show, thanks for watching. Youre invited to join us regularly right here on nbc bay area, where we investigate. Agts winner revealed. Tom cruises Beauty Secrets stag. Welcome to access hollywood, im scott evans, its the biggest show on its. Americas got talent with over 15 Million People tuning in to see 12yearold puppet tier extraordinary the carly sin firearm crowned the winner. [ cheers and applause ] a confetti covered celebration. The party continued to talk about her big moment. Good luck to both of you. America has voted. I like, was so nervous. I was even crying before they announced my name. Darcy lynn still visibly shaken. Even after her name was called, the 12yearold oklahoma native could barely get her words out. Ive been crying for the past hour. And i cant stop. Does it seem real yet . No. I want to hug her. Right . Shes the cutest. You really felt like she still had no idea, she was still buzzing from that announcement. That she was winning americas got talent. Just me myself and i