Legal Issues
The legal issues topic contains news and information about legal issues affecting EMS personnel, agencies or departments. Find the latest news from personnel misconduct, to disciplinary and harassment cases, to malpractice lawsuits, as well as advice to prevent legal action with EMS training, documentation and management.
Regardless of why an error happened, the focus should be on preventing any future errors, supporting the provider’s remediation plan and helping them move on
Dr. Amanda Berndtson shares the impact of wall-related injuries on EMS and hospitals in Southern Arizona and San Diego at NAEMSP Grand Rounds
Vague definitions and enforcement challenges raise concerns about how a new law will function in real-world emergencies, leaving providers to navigate gray areas under pressure
John Goward moves in as the city’s Fire-Rescue Department takes over staffing, deployment and billing
The EMS leader and advocate emphasizes putting the workforce at the top, with leaders giving them every opportunity to succeed
Chris Cebollero shares the encounters that tested his patience and the lessons that helped him embrace change in his recent travels
Regional Paramedical Services stated one of their ambulances was involved and offered thoughts and prayers to those involved
A Riverside County report noted 38,000 instances of “ambulance patient offload delays,” meaning medics had to wait 30 minutes or more
Among AMR’s complaints against the Sonoma County Fire District is that the district lowered the transport cost by paying EMS employees less
Father of missing Cleveland EMT thanks police, EMS, media, community for help
Cherlyn Schaefer said she fought to save cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ life and that the trauma and distress that followed made her leave the profession
LaDamonyon “DeeDee” Hall, 47, died in 2022 after police and EMS providers responding to a reported disturbance handcuffed and transported her
Lachelle Jordan was taken to a hospital for treatment after she walked into a convenience store and asked to call police
Maia Dorsett and Nikki Little share a journey to improving care through a multi-modal NAEMSP approach
The medical examiner’s office ruled Jesse Reed’s death a “suspected homicide” with “blunt force injuries” listed as a contributing cause of his death
Firefighters said they have been threatened with pipes and broken mops, hit with rocks and physically obstructed from administering care or responding to a fire
Hillsborough County deputies say the EMT got out of his vehicle, walked to the open driver’s side window of the other man’s car and punched him
Chief of Safety Frank Leeb says the decision to move his team out of the Fort Totten building delayed the internal investigation into Capt. Alison Russo’s death
The girlfriend, a fellow firefighter and mother of his children, ran from the house, and a neighbor killed Carl Braxton, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office said
Lachelle Jordan told police that Michael Stennett often followed her in his personal vehicle while she was on duty, and also waited outside her home
Due to the attack, Dallas-Fire Rescue had to resort to a rudimentary method of manual dispatching that relies on radio communication
Long Beach Police found the abandoned fire ambulance crashed into a telephone pole, less than a half-mile from a deadly fire
“There is a lot of discussion about overdose prevention centers, but ultimately, we need data to see if they are working or not,” said Dr. Nora Volkow
Brownsville EMS providers transported several injured people to hospitals
“Their clinical assessment assumed that the agonal respiration the patient took was the same as being apneic,” said Clearwater Fire & Rescue Chief Scott Ehlers
The EMS providers suffered minor injuries
The Monroe Fire Department’s Continuous Quality Improvement Plan provides an effective tool for evaluating and improving the quality of prehospital care
Assistant Chief Brian Zaitz shares the keys to finding balance and excellence at home and on the job
Wake County EMS says the imposter has shown up at multiple calls and once took a patient’s blood pressure
The Baltimore City FD truck was stolen during a medical call
Chief of Training Brian Brush encourages first responders to trust the public’s unquestionable faith in fire/EMS members to power an unquenchable passion for the mission
“The actions depicting in a video of the incident are completely unacceptable,” department officials said in a statement
