I'm wondering if a medical alert activation is different, legally or procedurally, from a 911 call requesting help.
That's a good questions, and I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know what the legal outcomes are..
In the latter case, I wouldn't expect EMS to just pack up and go home if no one answers the door or phone.
And you'll also comparing apples and oranges. In a 911 call, it's a 1st or second party call. from a medical alert activation, it's a 3rd or 4th party. on a 911 call, we have additional information, vs a medical alert (in this scenario), we have a report of an alarm, but no additional info.
Yeah, a zebra case doesn't mean it's never happened, but is exceedingly rare. One individual case vs the however many hundreds of such calls occurring everyday? Yeah that's a zebra case. Like I said, I'm far more worried about breaking my neck in a roll over on the way to the call than getting shot....
you should really attend the The Myth of Scene Safety in EMS class being held at FDIC/JEMScon... I attended it in Connecticut, and the presenter provided several examples of EMS providers getting shot (with several killed) on "routine" EMS calls. it's not always from medical alert calls, but it happens more than most people want to believe.
And no, I am not saying anything about just smashing the door down as soon as we get there. We're still requesting PD and looking around, investigating. We're calling the Alarm Company, having them contact the customer at a minimum (where we'd have them clarify address issues).
Not disagreeing. that's exactly what we did. We looked around, made noise, called the cops, asked the alarm company to contact the customer (they said they were unable to make contact with anyone, and could not provide a direct call back to the residence), and they had initially given us the wrong address.
I will say you need to have an articulatable reason for clearing the scene as "No Patient Found" other than "we couldn't see anyone from the outside" because the entire point of the medical alert devices is for people who are down inside where we wouldn't be able to see them still being able to call for help. What if they're down in the bathroom where there's no windows? Or the bedroom with the drapes/blinds/whatever closed so you can't see in? Just for a rescue crew to shrug and go "eh must be a wrong address, no one is answering the door" and leave?
Again, not disagreeing. And everything you said is a valid concern (one of the reasons why we didn't just clear on a no patient found). and if they are there, you are 100% correct.
But what if you are wrong? if no one is there, is your department paying for the repair or replacement of the door and door frame? What if they are there, sleeping, and you just broke down some guys door unnecessarily? is your department liable?
Just to reiterate, I have 0 issues forcing entry into a residence or commercial structure to help someone in need... life over property, it's the same as breaking a car window during a hot day with a kid inside; I'll call the cops, but when there is a known hazard, I might not even wait (I'm in the sticks, so the deputies are rarely around the corner).
But the question becomes, if you have only a 3rd or 4th party report, no confirmation of any actual emergency, what is your criteria for forcing the door?
@Jim37F , lets put this as a hose dragger example: dispatched to a fire alarm. you pull up, with visible strobes and audible alarms going off, but no water gong sounding, no smoke, no fire visible from the outside. no knox box, no keyholder response as per the alarm company. 360 shows nothing. you look in the door, and don't see anything. you forcing the door, or rather, forcing entry using as minimal damage as possible?