SECTION XVIII

                 LEGAL & ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS




                           DUTY TO ACT

             No one is required to render first aid
               under normal circumstances. Even a
                physician could ignore a stranger
                 suffering a heart attack if he
                         chose to do so.

                  Exceptions include situations
                  where a person's employment 
                    designates the rendering
                     of first aid as a part
                    of described job duties.
                  Examples include lifeguards,
                    law enforcement officers,
                        park rangers and
                       safety officers in 
                            industry.


                   A duty to provide first aid
                      also exists where an
                     individual has presumed
                   responsibility for another
                   person's safety, as in the
                    case of a parent-child or
                 driver-passenger relationship.

                                
                 While in most cases there is no
                 legal responsibility to provide
                first aid care to another person,
              there is a very clear responsibility
                to continue care once you start.
                   You cannot start first aid
                      and then stop unless
                   the victim no longer needs
                      your attention, other
                     first aiders take over
                   the responsibility from you
                      or you are physically
                    unable to continue care.





                        NEED FOR CONSENT


                In every instance where first aid
                 is to be provided, the victim's
                consent is required. It should be
                 obtained from every conscious, 
                     mentally-competent adult.
                    The consent may be either
                        oral or written.

                 Permission to render first aid
               to an unconscious victim is implied
                  and a first aider should not
            hesitate to treat an unconscious victim.

                 Consent of a parent or guardian
                  is required to treat a child,
                   however emergency first aid
                   necessary to maintain life
              may be provided without such consent.


                             ******


                   IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
                   THAT A VICTIM HAS THE RIGHT
                  TO REFUSE FIRST AID CARE AND
                   IN THESE INSTANCES YOU MUST
                  RESPECT THE VICTIM'S DECISION.
                      YOU CANNOT FORCE CARE
                      ON A PERSON WHO DOES
                   NOT WANT IT ... REGARDLESS
                       OF THEIR CONDITION!


                             ******


                         LEGAL CONCERNS

               Some well-meaning people hestitate
                to provide first aid because they
                 are concerned about being sued.

                   THIS NEED NOT BE A CONCERN!


                Legislators in almost every state
                 in the country have passed GOOD
                SAMARITAN LAWS which are intended
                   to protect good people who 
                 offer first aid help to others.

                                
                                

                 Most of the Good Samaritan Acts
               are very similiar in their content
                  and usually provide two basic
                   requirements which must be
                      met in order for the
                   first aider to be protected
                      by their provisions:

                  1. The first aider must not 
                     deliberately cause harm 
                     to the victim.

                 2. The first aider must provide
                    the level & type of care expected
                    of a reasonable person with the
                    same amount of training & in
                    similiar circumstances.



                             *******


             THERE SHOULD BE LITTLE, IF ANY, CONCERN
                ABOUT LEGAL CONSEQUENCES INHERENT
                     IN PROVIDING FIRST AID.

                 YOU NEED ONLY HAVE THE VICTIM'S
                   CONSENT AND THEN OFFER THE
                     LEVEL OF CARE FOR WHICH
                       YOU ARE QUALIFIED.

                                
                                
                             ******