VANDERBURGH COUNTY, Ind. — The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and Vanderburgh County Fire Department are partnering to strengthen DUI enforcement.
Certified fire department paramedics can now perform evidentiary blood draws during certain impaired-driving investigations, WEVV reported. Deputies may request their assistance when a suspect isn’t being transported to a hospital or when paramedics are already on scene providing medical care.
“This agreement ensures that impaired driving cases are handled promptly, safely and in accordance with Indiana law, while also sparing motorists from unnecessary trips to the jail or hospital,” Sheriff Noah Robinson said. “By utilizing fire department paramedics who are already on scene, we can minimize delays and reduce disruption for drivers who are being tested under Indiana’s implied consent laws.”
Under the new process, trained fire department paramedics can perform blood draws in a secure setting, such as an ambulance. Fire Chief Adam Farrar said the change reflects strong interagency cooperation.
“This partnership highlights how public safety organizations can work together to provide better service for our community,” Farrar said.
Effective immediately, the agreement aims to streamline enforcement, reduce case delays and minimize unnecessary inconvenience for drivers.
Should EMS be called out, or kept on the scene if there is no transport, to draw blood at DUI investigations?
EMS1 readers respond
“It’s a slippery slope. Those employees who draw blood will be subpoenaed and will sometimes have to go to court. The department will have to account for that and that they will have to cover their shifts and pay them to attend court hearings.”
“Emphatically no. We are there to treat. We had that provision in our protocols for a number of years and left it up to the agencies and the providers themselves to determine if they wanted to participate.”
“Absolutely not! It blurs the line between caregiver and LEOs.”
“Absolutely Not! BTDT in the 90s. Cops stopping at firehouse at all hours of the night. Paramedics being subpoenaed to court on their days off to testify as to the mechanics of the blood draw. Slime ball attorneys demeaning EMS personnel trying to get the blood draw dismissed. No thank you, never again.”
“This is a defense lawyers dream to be able to get blood draw thrown out due to possible contamination. Not necessarily for the blood alcohol level, but to show it wasn’t a sterile environment. If that is something that really needs to be done, it should be immediate results such as an iStat cartridge, which requires a machine to be carried, or an Eliza snap test. Just my opinion. Let’s just say from experience.”
“We did this in the 90s, on the direction of NYS troopers controlling the scene.”
