DT4EMS
Kip Teitsort, Founder
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Failure to Train.
Failure to train is an important statement to remember. It is the basis in which many officers have won lawsuits against their department when faced with use of force claims.
Example: An officer is issued the latest gadget. The department did not allow the officer the correct amount of time, or failed to train him period on the gadget. The officer uses the gadget and a person dies. The officer gets sued and in turn sues the department for “failure to train”.
Regardless of whether or not you believe the 700,000 annual assaults on EMS number published by the Boston Herald in August of 2005……..or the NAEMT study that says 52% of all EMS providers have been assaulted……IT HAPPENS.
Too many times people believe since “it hasn’t happened to me it just doesn’t happen to anyone”.
Regardless of how many numbers get published, some will still (loudly) proclaim there is no need for training in any type of self defense.
EMS providers go to the same scenes as police officers and yet they receive little or no training. Because of this lack of training EMS providers have placed their knees or their arms across the throat of an UNCOOPERATIVE PATIENT and think it is OK to do so.
Of course DT4EMS is mine so I believe in it but there are a lot of competent instructors out there. Just follow some basic guidelines when seeking out training:
1) Make sure you are being taught the law.
2) Learn escapes.
3) Techniques should be sloppy and gross motor dependent.
4) Learn the levels of force.
5) Learn proper documentation.
6) Training must be more than 8 hours.
7) Make sure the techniques taught are for EMS. In other words, have the person who will be teaching investigate “common attacks” an EMT may face.
8) Don’t rely on pain compliance techniques. The people that attack EMS folks are usually high or drunk.
9) Know the difference between a patient and an attacker.
Failure to train will apply to EMS like this: The employer Knowingly allows the provider to go on dangerous scenes or transport dangerous patient but failed to train them how to protect themselves.
I bring this up for those who have defended themselves in the back of an ambulance and lost their jobs, and/or for those patients that have had force used on them illegally.
Failure to train is an important statement to remember. It is the basis in which many officers have won lawsuits against their department when faced with use of force claims.
Example: An officer is issued the latest gadget. The department did not allow the officer the correct amount of time, or failed to train him period on the gadget. The officer uses the gadget and a person dies. The officer gets sued and in turn sues the department for “failure to train”.
Regardless of whether or not you believe the 700,000 annual assaults on EMS number published by the Boston Herald in August of 2005……..or the NAEMT study that says 52% of all EMS providers have been assaulted……IT HAPPENS.
Too many times people believe since “it hasn’t happened to me it just doesn’t happen to anyone”.
Regardless of how many numbers get published, some will still (loudly) proclaim there is no need for training in any type of self defense.
EMS providers go to the same scenes as police officers and yet they receive little or no training. Because of this lack of training EMS providers have placed their knees or their arms across the throat of an UNCOOPERATIVE PATIENT and think it is OK to do so.
Of course DT4EMS is mine so I believe in it but there are a lot of competent instructors out there. Just follow some basic guidelines when seeking out training:
1) Make sure you are being taught the law.
2) Learn escapes.
3) Techniques should be sloppy and gross motor dependent.
4) Learn the levels of force.
5) Learn proper documentation.
6) Training must be more than 8 hours.
7) Make sure the techniques taught are for EMS. In other words, have the person who will be teaching investigate “common attacks” an EMT may face.
8) Don’t rely on pain compliance techniques. The people that attack EMS folks are usually high or drunk.
9) Know the difference between a patient and an attacker.
Failure to train will apply to EMS like this: The employer Knowingly allows the provider to go on dangerous scenes or transport dangerous patient but failed to train them how to protect themselves.
I bring this up for those who have defended themselves in the back of an ambulance and lost their jobs, and/or for those patients that have had force used on them illegally.
