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.
The best leaders continually study leadership principles so they can adapt their responses to various situations and crises
Learn how peer support programs, EAPs and chaplaincy can help your providers weather emotional storms and mental health crises
The IAFC Coronavirus Task Force recommends several steps to help return to restoration of normal public safety services
John “Darrell” Hamilton, 58, died almost two years ago after collapsing down stairs with chest pains; his family claims that crews “left him for dead”
The family of a man who died from congestive heart failure said he may have lived had two employees not stopped efforts to resuscitate him
Chief Richard Bowers said his focus at the moment is on Nicole Mittendorff’s grieving family and colleagues, but that he has zero-tolerance for bullying
The suicide of Nicole Mittendorff causes us to ask the question: What is the impact of bullying on emergency responder mental health and suicide?
Firefighter Benjamin Vernon was stabbed twice and suffered a punctured lung and firefighter Alex Wallbrett was stabbed multiple times
Colin Skeele, 29, was arrested after being accused of engaging in sexual intercourse and showing child pornography to a 17-year-old cadet
Four hours before the chase began, Dasha West was released from jail for assaulting paramedics
National Rural EMS Conference attendees asked to identify unique attributes and barriers to success
Deputies were on scene and saw the woman move and called for the ambulance to come back
Without acknowledging fault, Good Samaritan Hospital settled for $450,000 and agreed to follow protocols to properly release homeless patients
Our readers’ responses ranged from specific charges to pleas for others to wait for a trial instead of placing blame; where do you stand?
Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested in February after deputies said he was practicing medicine without a license
Firefighter-paramedic Tonya Johnson walked onto oncoming traffic on a state highway after a heated argument with her husband
Barry Barkinsky is accused of forcibly administering enemas to at least four men and secretly photographing dozens more
Caroline Dorton, who has been with the Orange City Fire Department since 2009, is in the hospital in serious but stable condition
The charge against Jeffrey Lynn Brennaman is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine
States that try to set rules are met with lawsuits that argue air ambulances fall under the Airline Deregulation Act, which prevents states from interfering with fares, routes and services
At the time of Brandon Mitchell’s hire, six felony charges were pending against him in Oregon
The city wants firefighters to maintain their license throughout their career; the union is advocating for it to be required only a portion of that time
Our co-hosts discuss the importance of regional and state EMS conferences and why they tend to be an underutilized source of education
Securing data in an EMS environment is critical to avoiding breaches of patient information and triggering mandatory reporting
Karin Reickard gave care to teens later charged with burglarizing and stealing from her home
The woman was able to text a vehicle description and a location while traveling along a highway
From eclipsing natural disasters to devastating economic downturns, how will you get back up and running quickly?
RFPs and contracts for local ambulance services will require organizations to measure and report more than simply response time
EMS personnel and firefighters are attacked with increasing frequency, follow these steps to shift the survival odds in your favor
Tiffany Samuels received the award for her leadership in clinical excellence and exceptional training for new EMS field personnel
The medic, who has an extensive jail record history, stole the man’s debit card when he was dispatched to his home