Did you see that? That’s what I’m talking about.
Recently I took a bit of flack here for a suggestion I made. A New Jersey volunteer squad was having their funding cut by the governor and there was a lot of online press with the squad members explaining how devastating this would be to the community and how essential their service was to the sick and injured.
I made two observations:
1.) If you are certain that your service is essential, the best was to make your point is to call the governors bluff. Start shutting the doors on certain days. … Stop providing the service.
2.) If the community feels your service is essential they will rally around you. No need to shout your own praises, they wil do it for you.
I took some e-mail heat from New Jersey volunteers explaining that the public can’t be trusted to understand what’s truly good for them. The idea of not responding to an emergency was reportedly reprehensible and the fear that the community wouldn’t understand what they had lost until it was to late was evident.
I disagreed. I still disagree. And to further stand by my claim, I give you The Pinnup Boys of Atlantic Shores.
Read This Entire Literary Masterpiece…
This week I’d like to explore two related topics that tend to create a bunch of confusion – the duty to act and the good Samaritan law. If you want to see a room full of EMTs argue with each other, ask a 
question like, “So, when does an EMT have a legal duty to act?” or “To whom does the good sam law really apply?” These are subjects where myth and confusion are more common than fact so lets jump in to these two, often confusing, legal tenants.
Today we’ll look at the duty to act and on Thursday we’ll dive in to the good samaritan law.
On duty or off duty, paid or volunteer, in or out of uniform, when do you, as a professional rescuer really have a legal duty to act? Once you have a duty to act, what does that mean for your care and your liability? The true meaning of the duty to act can be confusing.
One of the things that make legal definitions like the duty to act so hard to nail down is the fact that they are not elements of federal law. They can’t be applied universally to caregivers around the nation. If they were we could say, “Here in the United States the duty to act is defined as … This is different from Canada and Great Britain where …” But it isn’t that simple. Depending on which country, state or territory you live in, the duty to act can mean very different things.
Read This Entire Literary Masterpiece…
