The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is partnering on a project with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Drexel University in Philadelphia to research the occurrences and effects of violence against firefighters and EMS responders. The study will examine the circumstances surrounding these acts and determine ways to mitigate workplace/on-duty incidents of violence against responders. The study will also provide examples of current best practices where they exist. For more information…

Readers interested in this topic can also access the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) 50 State Survey Criminal Laws Protecting Health Professionals here. Several state laws protecting emergency department personnel include provisions for EMS. See also ENA’s Workplace Violence Penalties and Terminology Database. Last Fall, ENA announced that Colorado joined thirty-one other states that have enacted laws making it a felony to assault or batter an emergency nurse and/or other emergency medical care provider. Now acknowledged by safety advocates as a “model”, the Colorado law can be found here.