Booze, blood and blurred lines: Should EMS play cop?

This week on the Inside EMS podcast, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson dig into a hot-button issue lighting up EMS forums: DUI blood draws by paramedics. In Vanderburgh County, Indiana, a new program lets fire department medics perform evidentiary blood draws at the request of law enforcement — right on scene, even if the suspect isn’t being transported. Supporters say it’s efficient; critics say it’s unethical.

The hosts share their own history with blood draws in the field and reflect on how their professional philosophies have evolved.

It’s a passionate, no-holds-barred conversation about legal gray zones, moral boundaries, patient advocacy, operational burdens and the blurry line between healthcare and law enforcement.

Spoiler: There’s no easy answer. But if your agency is considering such a program, this episode is required listening.

Memorable quotes

• “My job is to do medical care, period, end of file. Quite often in doing my job, I make the point, ‘Hey, I'm not a cop, man. You can trust me.’”

• “There's a moral dilemma there. Are we caregivers or are we evidence collectors?”

• “Even if the laws permitted me to do so for one reason and one reason only, it's very hard to shift from a caregiver mindset to a defensive mindset.”

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