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.
I know Memphis Fire, and while the inactions of three members should not reflect on the entire FD, we must learn from these fatal errors
The key to understanding how others see us is to first see ourselves clearly
Personnel feel unrecognized, many do not trust agency leaders and few are willing to recommend their career to others. How can we fix this?
Christopher Hartley was arrested on a child-neglect charge after an 11-month-old ingested his heroin and Xanax pills
Autonomy, leadership, resource commitment and integrative processes bolster successful volunteer EMS agencies
“Detectives are following credible leads to include witness interviews and phone data collection,” Sarasota police PIO Genevieve Judge said
Oak Bluffs Fire Chief John Rose and firefighter-EMT David Smith were driving by when they saw Trooper Dustin Shaw fighting with a driver he had pulled over
A whistleblower said William Watson, who was still in training, did not have sirens activated when the ambulance crashed and a woman was killed
The footage allegedly shows Ricardo Kendle being arrested after attempting to steal an ambulance at a hospital
Two doctors have had their licenses suspended after working together to sell prescriptions through an insurance company they created
Marcel Thomas was being transported to the hospital when he allegedly became aggressive and demanded the ambulance be stopped
Attorney General Chris Carr filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors for their alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis
Host Ginger Locke offers tips for active listening and asking thoughtful questions
Ricardo Kendle, who had just been released from jail, allegedly “became irate” and tried to pull a paramedic out of an ambulance
Heather Jacobson was suspended from ResCare Home Care and is under investigation for allegedly practicing beyond the scope of her license
The culture, good or bad, EMS leaders cultivate can make or break an EMS agency
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission draft report has active shooter survival recommendations for EMS, police and school leaders
Peter Graff, a member of the Boone County Fire Protection District, was suspended pending an internal investigation into a problematic social media post
The new law states that any first responder diagnosed with PTSD will be eligible for worker’s compensation
Kellie Cline faces multiple charges after allegedly punching an EMT in the back of the head during a medical call
Our co-hosts continue their discussion with EMS1 columnist and defense attorney David Givot on the impact medical marijuana has in EMS
Lawrence Vanburen-Morgan will be spending between three days and six months in prison after crashing into an ambulance and injuring two EMTs and a patient
Police said a driver sideswiped an ambulance and smashed into a cruiser in the parking lot of an apartment complex where a fire broke out
Ali Acevedo expressed her thoughts on Jose Gonzalez before a Bronx Supreme Court hearing where a decision on his mental fitness for trial was delayed
Embracing conflict can help a fire/EMS organization’s team mature and increase organizational productivity
Reports said paramedic Amy Sherlock had acquired nude photos of co-workers and planned to use them as “insurance” in case she ever needed to get out of trouble
A data-driven approach can be applied to determine the value of a community paramedic intervention for specific types of frequent EMS transports
Amy Sherlock allegedly admitted that she had photos of four of her colleagues, and her coworker claimed she said they were for “insurance”
Patrick Stein’s family sued the ambulance service and hospital, alleging that the paramedics who transported him were not informed he was a psychiatric patient
Mike McConnell was suspended for four days for taking a photo and video of a patient in 2016, and Kevin Murphy was suspended for 10 days for distributing them
The patient was in his restraints for about 20 minutes before breaking free and hijacking the ambulance, leading police on a lengthy chase
Colby VanWagoner pleaded guilty to stealing vials of morphine from ambulances and replacing them with watered-down solutions
A lawyer suing Dr. Jennifer Jones said she should have called 911 and told the ambulance to rush patient Christie Miville to the hospital with lights and sirens
