I have no exposure to aviation regulations, but I'm curious if some rules are different for emergency aircraft pilots. Similar to ambulance drivers and police officers being allowed to speed or run red lights for the sake of emergencies.
Specifically, this video shows a water bomber very close the ground and bystanders during an approach:
My gut tells me two things:
A) that this plane is dangerously close to the ground, and
B) that this would be a serious incident, representing some sort of strike against the pilot's record.
Please correct me if I'm wrong about either point. If either are true, though, is the situation treated differently for emergency pilots? Are they trained to go that close to the ground, like police officers are trained to handle a car at higher speeds? And are their rules different for that reason?
I'm not sure how much the answer would vary country to country, aircraft to aircraft, or even situation to situation. So if the question is too broad, assume the United States or Canada even though that's not where the video is from, and assume a water bomber pilot in a situation just like this.