With these forensic responsibilities in mind, requests by police officers should generally be accommodated when such requests do not interfere with the immediate needs of a patient.
Physical evidence must be preserved and left undisturbed to allow a thorough investigation by other responding law enforcement, for example, detectives and evidence technicians. Potential witnesses must be identified and secured in place. With the scene secured and first aid provided, they must begin to determine the boundaries of the crime scene and secure it usually using crime-scene tape. Typical first aid provided by officers is hemorrhage control by direct pressure or, more recently, with the use of tourniquets. Once the scene is secured, an officer may provide aid to any person in need of immediate assistance until medical responders arrive. Preventing additional injuries or loss of life to the public, police officers, and other responders such as firefighters and EMS personnel is the immediate task. Their first responsibility is to ensure that any threats or risks of harm are mitigated. When arriving on the scene of a serious crime, law enforcement is focused on numerous tasks that must begin immediately. It is important to understand the responsibilities of EMS personnel and law enforcement when they respond to the scene of a crime. With a proper understanding of these differences, patients may be properly and quickly cared for while maintaining the integrity of forensic evidence to the greatest extent possible.
Differences arise due to potentially conflicting responsibilities, and both services take actions that they in good faith believe are most important and of greatest priority at the time. The goals of emergency medical services (EMS) and police may diverge at any time while these professionals are at the scene of a crime. Police understand the priority of providing emergency medical care. Many situations that first responders may find themselves in are also potential crime scenes.
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