Opinion ID: 595568
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Training in Rescue Requirement

Text: 6 To meet the first prong of the substantially related standard, the County must show that the EMTs have received training in the rescue of fire, crime, and accident victims or firefighters or law enforcement personnel injured in the performance of their respective duties.... 11 The Department of Labor, in a Wage and Hour Division Administrative Letter Ruling, has explained this first prong of the standard as follows: 7 The first test requires that EMTs be trained to rescue individuals who have been injured or who are in danger of being injured. Under these circumstances, the term rescue refers to actions taken to free a victim from imminent danger or harm by the most expeditious means. In many cases, this may require an EMT to take action beyond merely applying medical treatment such as bandaging, administering oxygen, or transporting an individual to a hospital. For instance, there may be situations where the EMTs, as the first responders at the scene of an automobile accident, must extricate an injured person from a vehicle in order to begin treatment and preparation for movement as soon as possible.... This means that an EMT must be properly trained to operate special types of equipment, such as hydraulic spreaders or chemical foam extinguishers, in case they are available for their use at the accident scene. Therefore, we interpret the requirement that an EMT be trained to rescue as meaning that the individual has knowledge of the basic life-saving procedures and life support procedures (i.e. CPR, administering oxygen, and extrication techniques). However, it is not necessary for an EMT to routinely perform any or all of these procedures in order to meet the requirements of the first test referred to above. 12 8 We find the Department of Labor's interpretation persuasive. Accordingly, we hold that EMTs are trained to rescue only if they have knowledge of extrication techniques, that is, only if they have some specific training in methods of free[ing] a victim from imminent danger or harm by the most expeditious means. 9 The district court erred in its determination that the County proved compliance with the trained to rescue requirement because the evidence offered by the County failed to show that such training was a prerequisite to employment. We remand for the district court to require the County to further develop the facts regarding its training requirements and for the court to determine whether the County meets the trained to rescue requirement as interpreted in the Department of Labor's Letter Ruling.