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.
Like any relationship, a mentorship – whether you’re the mentor or mentee – takes time to develop
What tasks are most likely to end up in tragedy if you get complacent on the job?
First responders need to train for prolonged patient care for the calls when ambulances are delayed or unavailable
EMS leaders set the tone for nurturing employees and moving organizations forward with integrity
Use a distracted driving policy to educate personnel on the risks of distracted driving and to set clear expectations for in-vehicle behavior
An Akron paramedic was punched in the face during a call when family members objected to a patient not being taken to the hospital
What the rule changes mean for EMS and how agencies can reduce risk, lighten administrative burden and support better patient care
After FDNY EMS unions warned that low pay could drive out 1/3 of the EMS workforce, EMS1 readers said the same problems keep coming up: pay, cost of living, public perception and a system that still undervalues EMS
A vote on the information request is postponed as Worcester officials call for broader discussion, amid lawsuit alleging the city’s 911 system improperly sends armed officers to behavioral health emergencies
Virginia’s EMS director delivers a candid lesson in rebuilding trust, governance and integrity after systemic failure
In Worcester, a lawsuit and council review are raising questions about police-led responses to mental health emergencies
Use the habit loop to set goals in motion and achieve success
The risk management expert delivers commonsense wisdom, including three actions he would take if he were in charge
Investigators say an Islamorada firefighter/paramedic took a partially used vial after a call and falsified records
A federal judge dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging Bristol responders used excessive force and denied care to a 23-year-old during a medical emergency in 2017
EMS doesn’t choose people — it prioritizes patients based on risk, access and the realities of an unstable scene
Advocates say Worcester’s dispatch model sends armed officers instead of clinicians, raising safety concerns and questions about EMS system design
A Bridgeport investigation found a gunshot victim waited about 10 extra minutes for EMS transport after the first ambulance took an officer experiencing anxiety from the scene
An Ohio appeals court upheld a four-year prison sentence for a driver who crashed into a South Central Ambulance District rig, killing a patient and injuring two paramedics
Resiliency training and a CISM program laid a foundation for the Richmond Ambulance Authority to support its providers’ mental health
Learn how peer support programs, EAPs and chaplaincy can help your providers weather emotional storms and mental health crises
A Seattle woman waited more than 10 hours for a nurse-ordered ambulance, raising concerns about the city’s 911 nurse triage system and response standards.
The Albuquerque City Council voted to restore the fire chief’s authority over a controversial EMS staffing model that shifts paramedics onto fire engines
Federal prosecutors will seek capital punishment for the kidnapping, carjacking and killing of Florence County Paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore
Lawsuit claims Caesars Palace staff mistook a guest’s medical emergency for intoxication and called an Uber rather than EMS
Franklin County’s first female captain claims she was forced to resign after years of complaints about harassment, retaliation and systemic bias against women
John Joseph Carlbom, a former EMS supervisor and instructor whose license was revoked amid misconduct findings, faces the latest allegations tied to his time leading ambulance services and EMT courses in Deer Lodge
The proposed Halo Act would criminalize interfering with Kentucky firefighters, EMTs and law enforcement within 25 feet after a warning
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- Ark. dispatcher dies after being shot in ambulance service parking lot over weekend
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- HIV-positive medic sues employer for removing him from his job
- Manager of Ore. city’s mental health emergency response program resigns