NYS Senate Unanimously Passes Bill To Deter Interference With EMS Duties

We applaud the New York State Senate for unanimously passing a long-overdue bill aimed at protecting firefighters who perform emergency medical services. The bill, which has been sent to the Assembly and is expected to become law, makes it a misdemeanor crime if a person intentionally interferes with a firefighter performing care on a sick or injured individual. Under existing law, it is already a crime for a person to purposely obstruct firefighter operations, such as extinguishing a fire. This bill seeks to extend the protection to firefighters while they render medical services. The bill’s origin stems from a 2004 incident in which two Rochester, New York firefighters were attacked by an agitated onlooker while they were trying to treat a victim during an EMS call. Unfortunately, that perpetrator could not be charged with a crime. Thankfully, this conduct will no longer go unpunished.

Read the full article: Bill would make obstructing firefighters performing EMS a crime, WHEC News 10, February 14, 2017