To whom should you first report suspicions of child abuse in an EMS setting?

• A. Ambulance personnel
• B. Police
• C. School administrator
• D. Emergency medical director

Answer: (A)

When you suspect child abuse in an EMS setting, you report through your agency’s chain of command. The first person to inform is the person in charge of the ambulance crew—your supervisor or lead paramedic—so they can initiate the agency’s mandated reporting process and ensure the report goes to the proper authorities and is properly documented. This keeps the information within the correct channel, minimizes delays, and provides you with guidance on what to record. Directly contacting police or a school administrator isn’t typically the first step, and while the emergency medical director may be involved later, the initial report should go to the on-scene supervisor who administers the agency’s reporting protocol.