Latest / BSPE Legal Marketing Podcast / Can a DWI Affect New York EMT or Paramedic Certification? - Randall F. Inniss

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Can a DWI Affect New York EMT or Paramedic Certification? - Randall F. Inniss · BSPE Legal Marketing Podcast

• 0:00
  Can a DWI Affect New York EMT or Paramedic Certification?
• 0:04
  For an EMT or paramedic in New York, a DWI charge puts far more than a driver's license on the line — it can threaten the very career you've built saving lives.
• 0:13
  Although a DWI arrest does not automatically suspend or revoke an EMS certification, the New York State Department of Health advises currently certified providers who are arrested to contact their Regional EMS office immediately for instructions.
• 0:27
  New York's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services has authority under Part 800 to investigate and discipline certified providers, meaning the effect on your certification depends heavily on the type of offense and the circumstances surrounding it.
• 0:41
  A first-offense Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol under VTL Section 1192(1) is classified as a traffic infraction rather than a crime, which distinguishes it from a misdemeanor or felony DWI when the Bureau evaluates your case.
• 0:56
  Part 800 specifically authorizes discipline when a certificate holder is impaired by alcohol or another substance while responding to an EMS call, providing patient care, or driving an ambulance.
• 1:09
  An off-duty DWI in a personal vehicle carries different certification risks than impairment during active EMS duties, but it can still affect your driving privileges and your ability to operate an ambulance for your employer.
• 1:22
  A DWI in New York can trigger three separate processes — the DOH Bureau of EMS reviewing your certification, the DMV acting on your driving privileges, and a criminal court handling charges and sentencing — and each of these can influence the others.
• 1:35
  A DMV suspension does not automatically revoke your EMS certification, but losing the ability to legally drive can quickly make you ineligible to perform the core duties of your position.
• 1:46
  Employer consequences can also arise early in the process, since ambulance services and municipal agencies rely on commercial auto insurance that sets its own eligibility requirements for authorized drivers.
• 1:58
  Employers may reassign an EMT or paramedic to non-driving duties, place them on administrative leave, or require a substance use evaluation even before the criminal case reaches a resolution.
• 2:09
  A chemical test refusal results in a license suspension at arraignment in New York, and court-ordered suspension pending prosecution can apply in certain DWI cases, meaning the professional impact can begin the night of the arrest.
• 2:23
  Under NYS DOH EMS Policy Statement 18-01, criminal convictions must be carefully handled on recertification applications, and the terms arrested, charged, and convicted carry distinct legal meanings that matter on every disclosure form you sign.
• 2:39
  Before speaking with an investigator, an employer, or the Bureau, you should review your agency's reporting policy, keep copies of every document you submit, and speak with an attorney before providing any written statement about the DWI case.
• 2:51
  Randall F Inniss is the founding attorney at The Inniss Firm, PLLC, a law firm with more than 25 years of criminal defense experience serving EMTs, paramedics, commercial drivers, and other professionals throughout Rockland County.
• 3:05
  This law firm also represents clients facing the driving-related consequences of a DWI charge, helping them protect both the criminal case outcome and the professional standing they've worked to build.
• 3:16
  Call The Inniss Firm, PLLC at 845, 533, 0265, located at 400 Rella Blvd #165, Suffern, NY 10901, to discuss your case and protect your EMS career today.