Andi Harman

Composition 110

Dr. Will Phillips

October 14, 2010

Law Enforcement as First Responders

Andi Harman

Composition 110

Dr. Will Phillips

October 14, 2010

Law Enforcement as First Responders

You have just been injured in a car accident. Law enforcement officers are on scene, staring at

you while you desperately gasp for air. They are puzzled. How do they remove you from the vehicle

that is taking your life when what they are trained to do in this situation is direct traffic away from the

scene? The paramedics have yet to arrive and police cannot wait for them if you are going to live. If

law enforcement officers were trained as first responders, this would not be a problem. They would

know exactly what to do in this situation and have the confidence to do it. I believe that police officers

should be certified first responders because they are always the first to arrive and need to be trained in

order to save the lives of citizens. Granted that first responders are not at the same level as emergency

medical technicians (EMT) or paramedics, police should still be trained in advanced first aid, patient

stabilization, and vehicle extrication. This alone would improve the chances of someone living as

opposed to dying.

Police officers are always the first professional help to arrive on “scene” in any situation. As a

person with an oath to serve and protect, an officer should be able to do just that. For example, in a car

accident, the officer can't wait for paramedics to arrive. When a life is on the line, every single second

counts. They should be able to jump right in and get their hands dirty. This would save so many lives!

Officers being first responders could exponentially decrease the number of significant injuries.

If police were trained in patient stabilization and vehicle extrication, the number of serious

trauma injuries would decrease. Many serious injuries become worse when the patient's body stays in

the position of injury for an extended amount of time. With training of these skills, officers would

know how to remove them from the car safely without causing further harm. They would also be able
to secure the patient’s head and body to keep their spine in a safe position. This is crucial in the

assumption of a cervical spine or spinal injury. If this care isn’t given, the patient could become

paralyzed by staying in the position of injury. Police being able to remove and safely stabilize a patient

would reduce the extent of most injuries.

Now you may think: “To extract or stabilize a patient, doesn’t one have to have the right

equipment?” Many forms of stabilization and extrication are simple enough to perform without large,

bulky equipment. One would need only to carry cervical spine protectors and have a hard surface on

which to lay the patient. Training in these simple skills would give the police more opportunities to

serve their communities.

Law enforcement officers need to have multiple skills in order to serve their communities. Most

police officers are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, in most situations, CPR is

just not enough. For example, a bar fight erupts. Someone has had too much to drink and an argument

ends with violence. The person “down” has been knocked unconscious and isn't breathing. They are

also bleeding rather profusely from the head. Paramedics haven't arrived and cannot enter until the cops

have declared the scene “safe”. This man is lying there dying while the officer is performing CPR.

Because the officer isn't trained in how to control bleeding, the situation takes a turn for the worse. At

this time, it is critical that the officer understands the ABC's of emergency medicine. “A”, being airway,

is covered along with “B” (breathing). However, circulation, the crucial letter “C”, is being denied.

Circulation, or bleeding, is a vital aspect in this situation. Because the officer had no knowledge of this,

he or she is having no positive effect on the patient. While I am not saying that police should be doing

the jobs of paramedics, I am pushing the issue of advanced first aid. Many lives on the line could have

higher chances at being saved if law enforcement officers were trained as first responders.

Many people argue that there are liabilities, such as a patient’s death or cost, that restrict police

officers from becoming first responders. In my opinion, the list of liabilities that the police have to deal

with is so extensive that one more will not affect the way they perform their duties. Certain laws even
protect against these liabilities. The Good Samaritan Law protects someone who is performing the task

out of compassion. It states “as long as the actions are not grossly negligent, the responder or citizen is

protected.” Although this does not prevent a lawsuit, it protects from losing the case.

Along with the Good Samaritan Law protecting the responder, the laws and restrictions of first

responder duties are explained in great detail during the nine week course. This course should also be

included in the police academy. It would be more efficient in the use of time involved in training. They

would have complete knowledge of being a first responder. Police would know their “scope of care”

and when to act as well as how to act. The “scope of care” is the set of rules that explain to first

responders what care can and cannot be given. The rules would just be added onto the guidance that the

officers already follow.

Law enforcement officers need to be trained as first responders because they are to serve and

protect the citizens in their community. With training, they would be prepared to do this. Keep in mind

that I am in no way saying that they are not doing their jobs. I am just pushing the issue that they could

be trained in more ways to do it. If police were skilled in advanced first aid, patient stabilization, and

vehicle extrication, many injuries could be prevented and lives saved. The training is simple and if it

were to be included in police academy, it would be time efficient as well. It only takes a second for a

life to end. Most of the time, this second occurs between the time of injury and the arrival of the

paramedics.