The EMS policy includes a protocol for police custody/patient care. Which statement best reflects this?

• A. There is no protocol for police custody/patient care.
• B. There is a protocol to address police custody/patient care.
• C. Police custody/patient care must be handled exclusively by law enforcement.
• D. EMS should avoid any custody-related patient care.

Answer: (B)

The situation being tested is that EMS policies include a standardized procedure for patients who are in police custody during medical care. This means there is a defined protocol to manage police custody/patient care, ensuring medical treatment is provided safely and consistently while coordinating with law enforcement. A proper protocol sets out how to assess and treat the patient, how to interact with police, how to protect the patient’s rights and safety, and how to document care and the transfer of responsibility (including chain-of-custody considerations for evidence). This makes care predictable, legally sound, and focused on the patient’s welfare.

So the best statement is that there is a protocol to address police custody/patient care. The other options conflict with standard practice: there would not be no protocol, custody-related care is not something EMS should hand entirely to law enforcement, and EMS should not avoid providing needed medical care to a patient in custody.