Power of the Written Word: Fire and EMS Documentation

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jacob Parent, a firefighter with the 104th Civil Engineer Squadron, fills out medical documentation during a medical drill May 20, 2022, at the Barnes Air National Guard Base fire department. The fire department provides essential emergency response for the entire Westfield Regional Airport. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Hanna Smith)

Documentation is the cornerstone of an affirmative defense indicating your personnel did the right thing at a fire or EMS response. Why document? Your department and probably the state or local EMS/Health Department in your state for EMS responses may require it. With the current state of our communications, many people convey their thoughts in less than 280 characters on their social media applications.

Your memory is incredibly fallible when your case comes to court, usually just at the end of the statutory period. Documentation is your recall memory. Most importantly, this webcast demonstrates, through lecture and a writing exercise, how members of the department, through their documentation, can create a legally and physically safe place for firefighters on the emergency scene and in the fire station.

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