BACKGROUND:
During the COVID-19 pandemic the Washtenaw County Medical Board and Prosecutor's Office approved a temporary practice of licensed Huron Valley Ambulance paramedics performing evidentiary blood draws for Pittsfield Township police officers conducting criminal investigations of motorists suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while operating a motor vehicle.
The practice has provided additional safety for the officers and motorists by allowing the required blood draw to be performed in the ambulance or detention center, keeping both officer and arrestee/motorist from entering a hospital emergency room where exposure to the COVID-19 virus has been very high. Once the blood draw was completed, in most cases, the officer could transport the arrestee directly to the county jail to be lodged until sober. The practice has also proven to be more time efficient by limiting the amount of time an officer must wait at a hospital for the blood draw procedure to be completed by emergency room medical staff.
Ultimately, the practice of HVA drawing blood by consent or search warrant at a remote location outside of a hospital has proven to be an effective, efficient, and reliable model that is now approved on a permanent basis, albeit with a service agreement and per event cost of $65.
In addition to not having officers exposed to illnesses present in hospital emergency rooms, the ability to have the blood draw performed by HVA paramedics, even at a cost of $65 per incident/draw, is advantageous because of the time saved by officers not waiting at the hospital.
The potential annual cost of the service contract is approximately $5,000, based on the three-year average of eighty-four cases investigated for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and/or under the influence of drugs.