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The Carle-Illinois (Urbana, Illinois USA) Transport Protocol for LEK9s: Guidelines for Emergency Medical Service Providers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2019

William B. Weir ,
Ashley E. Mitek ,
Michael Smith ,
Danielle Schneider  and
Maureen A. McMichael Open the ORCID record for Maureen A. McMichael [Opens in a new window]
William B. Weir
Affiliation:
Carle Foundation Hospital and Carle Regional EMS & AirLife, Urbana, IllinoisUSA Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA
Ashley E. Mitek
Affiliation:
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA
Michael Smith
Affiliation:
Carle Foundation Hospital and Carle Regional EMS & AirLife, Urbana, IllinoisUSA Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA
Danielle Schneider
Affiliation:
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA
Maureen A. McMichael*
Affiliation:
Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IllinoisUSA
*
Correspondence: Maureen A. McMichael, DVM, M.Ed. Professor, Veterinary Clinical Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine Professor, Biomedical and Translational Sciences Carle-Illinois College of Medicine University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois 61802 USA E-mail: mmcm@illinois.edu
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Abstract

Three states and one county now allow Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers to transport injured law enforcement K9s (LEK9s) as long as no human needs the ambulance at the time. Several other states either have pending legislation or are in discussions about this topic. As additional states ponder these laws, it is likely that the EMS transport of LEK9s will become legal in many states. In the wake of this legislation, a significant void was created. Currently, there are no published protocols for the safe transport of LEK9s by EMS providers. Additionally, the transport destination for these LEK9s is unlikely to be programmed into vehicle Global Positioning Systems. The authors of this report convened a Joint Task Force on Working Dog Care, consisting of veterinarians, EMS directors, EMS physicians, and LEK9 handlers, who met to develop a protocol for LEK9s being transported to a veterinary facility. The protocol covers the logistics of getting the LEK9 into the ambulance (eg, when the handler is or is not available), appropriate restraint, and the importance of prior arrangements with a veterinary emergency facility. A LEK9 hand-off form and a Transport Policy Form are provided, downloadable, and customizable for each EMS provider. This protocol provides essential information on safety and transport logistics for injured LEK9s. The hope is that this protocol will assist EMS providers to streamline the transport of an injured LEK9 to an appropriate veterinary facility.

Keywords

ambulanceEMSK9police caninepolice dogtransportworking dog
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 422 - 427
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019 

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