Over the years I have welcomed, if not provoked, boisterous debate on the subject with anyone willing to engage. Using words like greedy and egotistical, obtuse and devious, I condemned the devolution of ALS into the fire service at the expense of providers whose sole focus is the delivery of quality medical care and the patients they could have served. I have warned of the dangers inherent in placing such responsibility in the hands of firefighters who are distracted by non-medical diversions, or worse, drafted against their will into a paramedic program. I have been steadfast in my convictions for twenty-some years. Until now.

“If you didn’t write it on your patient care report, you didn’t do it.” If you have been around for any length of time, you recognize that as being the most tired cliché in EMS. At the same time, you also know it is 100% true as far as a Judge, Jury, and opposing counsel are concerned. In this article, we will discuss why, with every PCR you write, you should imagine that it will someday be enlarged and projected onto a giant screen for the Judge, Jury, Opposing Counsel, and General Public to see… and pick apart. We will look at your penmanship & spelling and how well your thoughts are organized. You will see what these things say about you and how they affect patient care. Most of all, you will see how your documentation can save a life or kill a career.

Negligence is a legal concept that every provider has heard of, but few really understand. In this article, I will introduce myself as an author and then simplify "Negligence" such that providers in any jurisdiction can readily see why it is the leading cause of action against EMS Professionals.