[drinkeii]

I am somewhat appalled by the some of the comments, but did feel a little better as I continued to read. However, I feel that there is a thread running through this conversation that does not belong with ANY EMS provider under any circumstances.

I am an EMT in PA and have been for 6 years - I have been officiating sports for 4, including soccer and basketball. I have had several times which I have had to render assistance, both in soccer and in basketball. Although in none of these cases did I have a "duty to act" as defined by the law, I did have a duty to act as defined by common sense and human compassion.

I have a VERY large problem with people who say that they are more concerned with liability issues than doing what is right. Why did you learn a set of lifesaving skills (many of which can be performed with makeshift materials if the first aid kit is not handy) if you planned to stand back and watch someone injured and just say "well, I'm not in my uniform and don't have a handy-dandy jump kit with me, so I'm going to sit back and wait for the people whose job it is right now to come and do it, even though I could be helping."

I feel you are risking more liability by standing back and watching than you are by helping out. When someone there finds out you are an EMT, First Responder, Paramedic, etc, how are you going to explain to the lawyers why you chose to sit back and do nothing?

Good Samaritan laws (at least in PA) protect you as long as you provide care consistant with what you were trained to do. This applied whether or not you had a duty to act, whether or not you are wearing your uniform for your EMS service or Fire Department, and whether or not you have that nice little jump kit within reach.

A quote from earlier: Completely untouched; just going up and his leg completely buckled below the knee - closed tib/fib fracture. I consoled and left him alone, medically. There was obvious deformity that I did not align. Capillary refill below the break was good. Pain was not extreme. The ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. A couple of them were fellow patrollers.

Nice of you to ignore your training and just talk to him.

Another quote: But the general instructions around here are, stay away.

Nice to know - I think if I had a kid playing in these leagues, I would pull them out if I knew there was a medically trained person being told "Don't intevene... just stay away if they get injured".

A final quote: I have always been told that I am not in the official capacity of a paramedic when I am officiating a sport. So I do not render assistance to an injured player. I know what the Good Samaritan law protects and what it does not protect. I know what a good lawyer will protect and what the other person lawyer will protect also.
It is different when life limb or sight is involved, But what can I do without the proper equipment....the basics.

No, you're not in the official capacity of a paramedic - and a medic follows different guidelines, protocols, etc, since they are acting under a doctor. Most of the medic skills that are taught require specialized equipment. However, you had to become an EMT before a medic, and those are basic skills which you are also trained to use what is available to serve as your supplies if needed. You don't need your drug kit to be able to render simple aid to an injured player. As for the lawyers, I certainly after all your training, you have more concern for the patient and doing what is right than what a lawyer is going to say later. As for missing equipment - you can do a LOT without the "proper" equipment. I addressed this above.

I know my opinions can be controversial - but I feel that I need to do what is right, and having the training and standing back and watching someone suffer is not doing what is right just because I'm not on the clock as an EMT.