Confirming Alaska Good Samaritan Law (work, medical, service)

[MissingAll4Seasons]

I've read some statutes regarding rendering aid to people in emergency/rescue situations and just wanted to confirm that I understand how this works in AK:

1. Any citizen is excluded from liability when rendering aid in a situation reasonably deemed emergency situation, except
a) if gross misconduct or negilence can be ascertained on the part of the "rescuer"
b) the "rescuer" uses an external defibrilator and has not been properly trained to use this equipment (question: does this training have to be currently certified in AK, or can the person have been trained in another state or in the past?)

2. Any person who is a trained professional in a service that is solely dedicated to providing emergency/medical aid is required to render aid in an emergency situation, except when doing so would consititute gross misconduct or negligence (i.e. they are inebriated, etc).
(question: does this extend to persons registered/licensed in such professions in another state or in the past?)

Thanks - just don't want to get up there and do the wrong thing because I don't what is and isn't expected of me

[karfar]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

I've read some statutes regarding rendering aid to people in emergency/rescue situations and just wanted to confirm that I understand how this works in AK:

1. Any citizen is excluded from liability when rendering aid in a situation reasonably deemed emergency situation, except
a) if gross misconduct or negilence can be ascertained on the part of the "rescuer"
b) the "rescuer" uses an external defibrilator and has not been properly trained to use this equipment (question: does this training have to be currently certified in AK, or can the person have been trained in another state or in the past?)

2. Any person who is a trained professional in a service that is solely dedicated to providing emergency/medical aid is required to render aid in an emergency situation, except when doing so would consititute gross misconduct or negligence (i.e. they are inebriated, etc).
(question: does this extend to persons registered/licensed in such professions in another state or in the past?)

Thanks - just don't want to get up there and do the wrong thing because I don't what is and isn't expected of me

I wonder if that's true in all states? I really should get certified in CPR, you never know!

[MissingAll4Seasons]

From what I've read, all states do have a Good Samaritan Law, but some do not protect citizens (only trained emergency/medical personnel) from liability. Others require aid to be provided, by citizens and/or professionals; others only protect from liability if you decide to render aid. Sometimes the wording is a little difficult to decipher in each state's statute regarding who and what is covered (and to what extent) and which activities are compulsory and by whom. That's why I'm double-checking!

Here's a list of each state's policies: Good Samaritan Laws And AEDs (note Mississippi - no helping someone there unless you're a trained responder)

Knowing basic first aid and getting CPR qualified is always good; and if you go out in the wilderness often advanced first aid isn't a bad idea either!

[Xa'at]

As a general rule in Alaska, if you can help directly, you absolutely do. Otherwise, you stick around to see if you can find someone who knows what they're doing to assist.
This is a state where the people will argue until they're blue in the face about political issues, but when the chips are down and it's -60, or so-and-so was in a car accident, all that stuff just disappears and you do whatever you can. We don't need "good samaritan laws" to tell us to do the right thing.

[Metlakatla]

That about sums it up, Xa'at.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

That's great to hear Xa'at, and I figured as much from my time there previously. I've been in some crazy states where you were literally taking your future in your hands if you helped someone... even if they were bleeding to death right there in front of you. I have a lot of medic/first aid experience but I'm not licensed or anything "formal" so I've had to worry about doing something I wasn't "allowed" to do in emergency situations.

Personally, in any emergency situation where "professional" help was just too far away I'd do whatever I could -- if someone's airway was occluded, then I'd do a tracheotomy; or if someone was bleeding out, I'd do whatever I could to stem the flow and THEN worry about getting more help. It never made sense to me to stand around and do nothing while waiting for the "real" rescuers to show up when I do have enough skills to do pretty decent field triage! Thank goodness Alaska isn't one of these "punish the useful" states!!

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

That's great to hear Xa'at, and I figured as much from my time there previously. I've been in some crazy states where you were literally taking your future in your hands if you helped someone... even if they were bleeding to death right there in front of you. I have a lot of medic/first aid experience but I'm not licensed or anything "formal" so I've had to worry about doing something I wasn't "allowed" to do in emergency situations.

Personally, in any emergency situation where "professional" help was just too far away I'd do whatever I could -- if someone's airway was occluded, then I'd do a tracheotomy; or if someone was bleeding out, I'd do whatever I could to stem the flow and THEN worry about getting more help. It never made sense to me to stand around and do nothing while waiting for the "real" rescuers to show up when I do have enough skills to do pretty decent field triage! Thank goodness Alaska isn't one of these "punish the useful" states!!

If you are a "professional", you are indeed restricted to procedures that you have been trained to do and that you have specific authorization to perform. For example, if you are a certified EMT and perform said tracheotomy, you are liable! If you are not an EMT, you can do it with relative impunity as long as you do what you truly believe is right. If someone can prove that you knew or should have known how, and did it wrong... they can sue you.

Given the level of expertise you have suggested, it might be wise to be very careful about doing anything beyond basic first aid in any situation that is not life and death. Let the EMS people handle it. If it is a life at risk, go for it with everything you know.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

If you are a "professional", you are indeed restricted to procedures that you have been trained to do and that you have specific authorization to perform. For example, if you are a certified EMT and perform said tracheotomy, you are liable! If you are not an EMT, you can do it with relative impunity as long as you do what you truly believe is right. If someone can prove that you knew or should have known how, and did it wrong... they can sue you.

Given the level of expertise you have suggested, it might be wise to be very careful about doing anything beyond basic first aid in any situation that is not life and death. Let the EMS people handle it. If it is a life at risk, go for it with everything you know.

I'm not professionaly trained or licensed as such, I've just been in some really freaky situations that required advanced first aid. If professional rescue help was available and time wasn't critical, I certainly wouldn't take matters into my own hands. But if I found Joe Blow stranded in the wilderness with a femoral bleed... well that's a different story altogether. Common sense is the best first aid tool out there