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Forksref, good point but there's one exception that I was made aware of by a fellow cadet a few years ago.
From this instance I can think of, it's my understanding an official is obligated to touch a injured player. If a game official or member of the chain crew is working the game and happens to be an EMT, he or she is an EMT first and an official second. (That's what he told us any way).
While working as a cadet our supervisor told us to NEVER touch a player which to most of us only makes sense. We had an EMT in our class who spoke up and corrected our instructor that legally in these situations he could be held criminally liable if he doesn't intervene. He brought up one situation where a coach was about to remove a helmet from a player and (luckily) he intervened and as adamant about what needed to be done. He basically had to argue his credentials because coaches know we're not supposed to touch kids either. The kid ended up injuring a "C-5" (or what ever it's called) on the play and if the coach had removed the helmet it could have led to spinal cord damage. He took the necessary steps to secure the player's head and in the end he may have saved further injury.
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