Level of care when volunteering

Kyle Vernon

Kyle Vernon

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I've been volunteering to man the first aid station for a local event for the past 5 years or so. Usually in association with the FD I volunteered for, I'd make them aware and use my first responder gear issued by the FD and work under their protocols. (Which is bls, in this district fire/paramedics are all bls which I think is lightweight anyway).

I no longer volunteer for the FD, so I am an "unaffiliated" paramedic volunteer, as my current ambulance company will not be associated, the event coordinators will not spring for a standby. So I'm an uncompensated Good Samaritan.

I figure I'll be limiting my service to bls. But I was interested in knowing the actual limitations as an unaffiliated paramedic volunteer.
 
Speak to the first aid station/event's medical director.
 
Depends on your state laws

In NJ youre only a paramedic when you are working with another paramedic on a licensed paramedic vehicle.
 
I'm sure the event doesn't have a med director, if they do its under the parish license, which would be the same as the parish EMS/fire. Or, BLS. ...Nice nudge. :)
 
So in NJ if you assist or are first to response by proximity you are able to perform bls interventions only. Don't expect you'll have an intubation kit in your glove box :) ... I've seen stranger on calls believe me.
 
Practicing medicine outside of your scope or without a license/medical director is a crime with serious civil and criminal repercussions.

You better look into this with your local EMS agency. We here at EMTlife do not offer legal advice further than that.
 
Kyle Vernon said:
So in NJ if you assist or are first to response by proximity you are able to perform bls interventions only. Don't expect you'll have an intubation kit in your glove box :) ... I've seen stranger on calls believe me.
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Ok, so if you are a first responder on duty with an agency you can act to your certified scope. As a medic if your alone it means you are a shift supervisor or tour chief. you can start ALS interventions because you have 2 paramedics also responding to you. BLS can do BLS obviously

I have worked a few Toughest Spartan Battle Mudder races and we actually act BELOW our EMS scope. We give ibuprofen and electrolytes in our aid bags. But we are contracted by the race organizer to provide medical service. When i have done private standbys, i just act to the BLS scope, basically doing Advanced Boy Scout First Aid. This leaves you open to as little liability as possible since its the most likely level of care to be covered under good samaritan law.

But again, depends on your state, depends on your licencing agency, EMSA, or whatever you have down there

Also, if you are going to be doing this type of freelance work, i recommend getting personal malpractice insurance, i use HPSO and its like $100 a year.
 
Yes I picked up personal malpractice just recently. And I plan to do at or below BLS. FD and PD will be on scene as well. Everything is as I thought, I was just checking to get a clearer picture of the limitations. I will also have a talk with the medical director before the event.
 
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