Gregory West, JD, EdD, BS

Legal Aspects of Emergency Services introduces members of fire and emergency medical services to the legal system in the United States, showing them how various types of laws affect their work in emergency services.

After studying Legal Aspects of Emergency Services, students will be able to identify situations in their work environment—whether at incident scenes or at the station—that reflect federal, state, and local laws, or may require the assistance of an attorney. The knowledge gained through this text can influence emergency responders’ words and actions in legally sensitive situations.

Legal Aspects of Emergency Services meets and exceeds the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Program Legal Aspects of Emergency Services course outcomes. Chapters progress from a general foundation in the U.S. legal system, to general types of laws, and then to the more specific types of laws affecting emergency services, covering the legal aspects of topics such as:

• Patient privacy
• Emergency medical care
• Public information transparency
• Technology use
• Civil rights
• Employment benefits
• Employee safety
• Employer-employee relations
• Community rights

Legal Aspects of Emergency Services also includes:

• Decisions from influential court cases
• Fictional case studies
• Clarifications of tricky legal concepts
• State laws involving emergency services