New rules to regulate when police should provide first aid

Police officers will be obligated to administer first aid when a person's life is in danger and an ambulance has not arrived at the scene, under new rules being drawn up to clarify the provision of first aid in emergencies. Police officers may, can and do provide first aid, but until now the law has not clearly regulated the extent to which police may act before an ambulance arrives. The new rules will be added to the Law Enforcement Act, which is currently being amended. Police officers already have the necessary skills but are now always allowed to intervene, said Roger Kumm, head of the Police and Border Guard Board's prevention and offence proceedings bureau. Examples include cases where someone has been stabbed and develops a collapsed lung. Police officers are not allowed to use invasive methods, even though police medics have the necessary specialist training. They are not allowed to clear the airways by intervening medically. What has been done until now is immediate life-saving assistance. The ambulance was unable to enter the scene in the shooting in Lihula in 2020 due to danger, and in serious traffic accidents, officers may be closer and begin providing life-saving assistance. Ain Peil, an adviser at the Interior Ministry's law enforcement and criminal proceedings department, explained that first aid is not precisely regulated in Estonia, but the general principle is that everyone should provide first aid within their competence, particularly public authority employees. The clearer the legislation is, the better it is for police officers, as they won’t have to spend time wondering whether to act or not. The Estonian Society of Emergency Medicine Physicians supports the amendment, but doctors also believe the law should clearly list the procedures police are allowed to perform. Tanel Lepik, a member of the society's board, said that police officer training determines the boundary, and some invasive techniques could harm the person if not performed correctly. The list should be jointly drawn up by police, ambulance service, and emergency medicine doctors. Another change is that police officers will be able to carry out rapid drug tests instead of taking offenders to a hospital.