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Nation-Wide Variation in Presence of Legislation or Protocols for EMS Care of Operational Canines

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2024

David W. Schoenfeld ,
Caroline E. Thomas ,
Lee Palmer ,
William Justice ,
Esther Hwang Open the ORCID record for Esther Hwang [Opens in a new window] ,
Kate D. Zimmerman ,
Jeffrey M. Goodloe ,
Jonathan D. Shecter Open the ORCID record for Jonathan D. Shecter [Opens in a new window]  and
Stephen H. Thomas
David W. Schoenfeld*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Caroline E. Thomas
Affiliation:
BS Candidate, Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC USA
Lee Palmer
Affiliation:
Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama USA
William Justice
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, Oklahoma USA
Esther Hwang
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia USA
Kate D. Zimmerman
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Maine Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, Portland, Maine USA
Jeffrey M. Goodloe
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, Oklahoma USA
Jonathan D. Shecter
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Stephen H. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts USA Barts & The London School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom
*
Correspondence: David W. Schoenfeld, MD, MPH Department of Emergency Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1 Deaconess Rd. Boston, Massachusetts 02215 USA E-mail: dschoenf@bidmc.harvard.edu
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Abstract

Background & Aims:

Deployment of law enforcement operational canines (OpK9s) risks injuries to the animals. This study’s aim was to assess the current status of states’ OpK9 (veterinary Emergency Medical Services [VEMS]) laws and care protocols within the United States.

Methods:

Cross-sectional standardized review of state laws/regulations and OpK9 VEMS treatment protocols was undertaken. For each state and for the District of Columbia (DC), the presence of OpK9 legislation and/or care protocols was ascertained. Information was obtained through governmental records and from stakeholders (eg, state EMS medical directors and state veterinary boards).

The main endpoints were proportions of states with OpK9 laws and/or treatment protocols. Proportions are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fisher’s exact test (P <.05) assessed whether presence of an OpK9 law in a given jurisdiction was associated with presence of an OpK9 care protocol, and whether there was geographic variation (based on United States Census Bureau regions) in presence of OpK9 laws or protocols.

Results:

Of 51 jurisdictions, 20 (39.2%) had OpK9 legislation and 23 (45.1%) had state-wide protocols for EMS treatment of OpK9s. There was no association (P = .991) between presence of legislation and presence of protocols. There was no association (P = .144) between presence of legislation and region: Northeast 66.7% (95% CI, 29.9-92.5%), Midwest 50.0% (95% CI, 21.1-78.9%), South 29.4% (95% CI, 10.3-56.0%), and West 23.1% (95% CI, 5.0-53.8%). There was significant (P = .001) regional variation in presence of state-wide OpK9 treatment protocols: Northeast 100.0% (95% CI, 66.4-100.0%), Midwest 16.7% (95% CI, 2.1-48.4%), South 47.1% (95% CI, 23.0-72.2%), and West 30.8% (95% CI, 9.1-61.4%).

Conclusion:

There is substantial disparity with regard to presence of OpK9 legal and/or clinical guidance. National collaborative guidelines development is advisable to optimize and standardize care of OpK9s. Additional attention should be paid to educational and training programs to best utilize the limited available training budgets.

Keywords

canineEMS protocolsoperational K9police canine EMSveterinary EMS
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , February 2024 , pp. 59 - 64
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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