When can EMT's eneter your home?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Years ago, I found myself on the floor, and just like that commercial, "I couldn't get up". I called 911. They came, but they kept looking for a "lock box" which I don't have. I kept telling the phone operator the door was open. I could hear the ambulance's radio, "He says the door is open", but nobody paid attention. Finally an EMT tried the door. Some how I was thinking about this and wondered what were the rules about EMTs entering somebody's home?
 

It may be different from state to state. Once I suddenly found that there were four medics standing in my living room. I had accidentally pushed the button on my alarm pendant, and didn't realize it. They got a key from the security office and just walked in. Embarrassing, but it's good to know they are able to do that if there really is a medical emergency.

They said it happens all the time.
 
My doors are locked day and night because I don't want anyone unknown walking in unexpectedly. I have no "lock box" and don't know of anyone else around here who does.

I have a check in service. If I don't check in every morning by 9 AM, they text my emergency contact, who has keys and will come to myhouse and check on me

My phone is never far away in case I need to call 911 during the day. If I was unable to unlock the door, I would tell them in my phone call to use forced entry.

If I am unable to call 911, EMTs wouldn't know I needed help, so how they got in wouldn't be the issue. One thing I could do is wear one of those alarms that signals a service in case of a fall. I have no excuse for not doing that, except that I don't want to.

No matter what we do, we take certain chances.
 
When I was on the squad in Virginia we got a call and all we could hear was screaming and a few words. We were dispatched out and got to the residence quickly. Everything was locked so the policeman on scene told me to stand on his back to reach a window which was high up. I got in and found a girl in labor, checked her and she was crowning. Off we went fast to the hospital and made it just in time. Five more minutes...anyway it was a girl.

When I was running and there was a call like that, we got in and asked questions later.
 
Once summoned, the EMT's are considered more than an invitee or licensee. If the EMT' s are govt. Employees, the 4th Amendment applies. The same with Firefighters, do they need a warrant to enter a home to fight a fire, of course not. If private, say you punch the panic button, they are not constrained by the 4th Amendment concerning entry. I suppose the details would be in the contract signed. However, if they need to call police, the above example holds. This would be an emergency situation, generally known as a welfare check or "Community Caretaking" function under the case law, ergo no illegal entry.
 
There are all kinds of crazy scenarios that can happen with EMT's.
Your pasty white corpse is hauled to the local hospital. $1000

Dr. restarts the heart with repairs to the Pacemaker, you been dead
for 12 hours.
You pay for Helicopter ride to State Hospital, you now been dead for
16 hours. That heart is beating but you are dead, but now legally alive
for 4 hours. $15,000+

you got an organ thingy saying you're a donor.

The pain, oh the pain of it all on your daughter to have to
deal with 2 deaths in 24 hours. The pain / agony of it all.

The Coroner should have been called. Say to yourselves,
"It happens all the time!"
 
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Fritz said:
According to a search online if the door is locked and you're not able to let them in they have to put your life first and will in the least invasive and damaging manner possible, break into your home to save you.
Click to expand...
Cool, Festus dove thru the picture window. ... (y) ...
 
Thats something to think about. I do live alone. Maybe when Im older I will look into that check in service.
But theres no one to notify. So who would they call. Maybe one of those alarms that signals in case of a fall would be a better choice. I do have the emergency pendant that comes with my security system. So theres that.

Im adjusting to the fact that Im getting old. Before I do something iffy like getting up on the ladder to change the batteries in the smoke detector on the 12' ceiling I turn off the alarm and unlock the door and put my phone in my pocket.
I take a shower upstairs. Again I turn off my alarm and unlock the upstairs door and put the phone close.
And put some clothes close by. Dont want to traumatize the EMTS. :D Also my alarm has outside sirens. :D

Im surprised that some are charged. I had to call the squad numerous times to get the husband off the floor and sometimes for other things. There were never any charges.
 
Veronica said:
Thats something to think about. I do live alone. Maybe when Im older I will look into that check in service.
But theres no one to notify. So who would they call.
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The check in service I use is Snug Safety, a free phone app. - They also have a paid version, but the free one is all I need.

If there's no one to notify, you can consider asking a friend, neighbor, clergy, or your doctor's office. You may not want anyone you select having keys to your house, but if they knew they were your emergency contact, surely they would call 911 if they got a notification from the service that you could not be reached. [Also, more than one contact can be listed.]
 
If you need a key box, you may be able to get one from your county senior services or another agency like that. My SIL senior service caseworker gave her one when she asked. It was heavy duty & would take a lot of work to break it open. We locked it under the top of the front porch awning at the front door. At that location you couldn't see it from the street & you wouldn't have seen it unless you were being nosy. No one could have messed with it without a neighbor seeing it.

It was like the ones that realtors use for houses for sale. I've seen some for sale on Amazon, but they looked cheap & I'm not sure I'd trust those. Locksmiths have the good ones, but they aren't cheap.

As far as the numbers to unlock it, her emergency pendent had the number to give to the medics. We lived about 15-20 minutes away & the medics was pretty much down the street from the house & would have to wait if we didn't have the box. If we were out & about, it would have been longer.

She moved out a few years ago & into an apartment. A few months a neighbor heard her kitchen sink run for several hours & kept knocking without an answer. She went to the manager & asked if they could go in & check on her. The manager is not allowed to go in for any reason at all without the police present for a welfare check, so the called the police.

SIL, who is always non-compliant with doctors orders, was passed out on the floor & taken to the hospital. She was released a few days later.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
The check in service I use is Snug Safety, a free phone app. - They also have a paid version, but the free one is all I need.

If there's no one to notify, you can consider asking a friend, neighbor, clergy, or your doctor's office. You may not want anyone you select having keys to your house, but if they knew they were your emergency contact, surely they would call 911 if they got a notification from the service that you could not be reached. [Also, more than one contact can be listed.]
Click to expand...

I thought about it. Check in wont work. Knowing me I would probably forget to be available at check in time.
Anyways I dont have any friends or relatives left to notify. If I do anything it would probably be the fall thing.
When you think about it most times after something happens you fall over.

OldOld said:
I don't have any emergency contact. what do I do?
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Im not worried about it yet but if its bothering you I would check with your local 911 and ask them what they would suggest. You could do the checkin service on your home phone and list your cell as your emergency contact. If they cant reach your contact they will call 911. I got tired of explaining that I dont have a contact. So thats what I do at the doctors .

Fritz said:
I have no emergency contact. I will probably die in the bedroom and no one will be the wiser til I start emitting a funk. LOL
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We should do a clique. Thats probably going to happen here too. :D
 
Veronica said:
I got tired of explaining that I dont have a contact. So thats what I do at the doctors .
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A few years ago, my doctor sent me to an x-ray lab to take an x-ray. The lab wouldn't do it unless I fill out the emergency contact column on the paper. We argued for quite a while, they finally gave in.
Now I just don't argue anymore when someone ask me for an emergency contact. I give them my deceased mother's name. 😂
 
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ohioboy said:
Once summoned, the EMT's are considered more than an invitee or licensee. If the EMT' s are govt. Employees, the 4th Amendment applies. The same with Firefighters, do they need a warrant to enter a home to fight a fire, of course not. If private, say you punch the panic button, they are not constrained by the 4th Amendment concerning entry. I suppose the details would be in the contract signed. However, if they need to call police, the above example holds. This would be an emergency situation, generally known as a welfare check or "Community Caretaking" function under the case law, ergo no illegal entry.
Click to expand...
Doing welfare checks can be tricky. There are times when LE can and can’t make entry.
 
Veronica said:
I thought about it. Check in wont work. Knowing me I would probably forget to be available at check in time.
Anyways I dont have any friends or relatives left to notify. If I do anything it would probably be the fall thing.
When you think about it most times after something happens you fall over.



Im not worried about it yet but if its bothering you I would check with your local 911 and ask them what they would suggest. You could do the checkin service on your home phone and list your cell as your emergency contact. If they cant reach your contact they will call 911. I got tired of explaining that I dont have a contact. So thats what I do at the doctors .



We should do a clique. Thats probably going to happen here too. :D
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Yes, those are some thoughts to consider.

In the meanwhile, a person can at the very least leave a medical directive ("advance directive") on file with their doctor's office which outlines your preferences for medical care, ensuring your wishes are known and honored if you are unable to communicate them yourself, especially in an emergency.
 
911 said:
Doing welfare checks can be tricky. There are times when LE can and can’t make entry.
Click to expand...

True, the bottom line, if there is an actual dispute of law, it will boil down to if the Entry (Search) was "Reasonable", if there was an entry that is.
 

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