Volunteering outside agency, worried about legal

[BeansCO]

Hey all,

So I work in an ER in the state of Colorado. I have been asked by a supervisor outside the ER (inpatient) to volunteer for an event not supervised by my hospital. I am more than happy to help out fellow employees. It would be simple first aid for a 2 day high school science fair.

I have yet to ask the supervisor but my only concern is where I stand legally by volunteering for this event. As I am not working for my agency am I just covered under state protocol. I don't want to expose myself to legal issues just to volunteer.

If anyone can shed any light on this that would be greatly appreciated.

Beans

 

[Bullets]

Idk how CO state laws work. When i do event medical we dont act under our EMT cert, we are basically first responders and do what amounts to Boy Scout first aid with a little more knowledge and some ibuprofen

However, you should still invest in personal liability insurance as an EMT. I use HPSO and have had a wonder experience for basically $100 a year

 

[CALEMT]

So you work for company A but are volunteering with company B? Not to sure how CO works, but if its in the same county you should still be working under your medical director. If thats the case, theres no real reason to worry as long as you follow your county protocols you should be fine.

 

[ViolynEMT]

http://emtlife.com/posts/582732/

There is a thread about that. I'm not sure if I copied the URL properly.
You can buy insurance for yourself. It's not outrageously priced. It's not a bad idea to have. I have a policy and I feel better knowing it's there.

 

[Jason]

BeansCO,
Of course things may be different, state to state. I'm in VA, and students always ask similar questions about do's & don'ts, being on duty & off duty.
Here - You are only covered while on the clock for your EMS agency. If you are off the clock, not on duty, you can only do basic first aid. Exceeding this requires temporary permission from the receiving ER MD and you coming in with the patient doing care.
Another condition is, you say you work in a hospital. Many hospitals here do not allow EMS people to function fully as an EMT or Medic. They follow a separate job description, not the same as EMS protocols.
Certainly look into the legal aspects that relate to your state.
Good luck.

 

[BeansCO]

Thanks for all the replies. I am not too concerned with going beyond basic first aid. I am really only there as a first responder. I won't be bringing a monitor or iv kit with me. I found out that I am covered under the outside organizations liability policy. I am going to look into liability insurance for myself. I would prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

If anyone has run event support, what equipment do you pack with you. I am thinking 4x4s, tape, band-aids, ace wrap, ice packs, maybe a sam splint. Can't imagine I'll need much else.