INTRODUCTION:

Attempt to address the problem of minors at the scenes of trauma or when questions of illness arise and no parent or legal guardian is present. Our primary duty to act is limited to ill or injured person. Persons for whon you have no suspicion of injury or illness who are younger than 18 are not patients and therefore are generally not our responsibility. If you have the slightest doubt about whether a minor is ill or injured they should be transported.

1. A minor is determined to be injured or ill:
   1. Ill or injured minors will be treated and transported. Ill or injured minors may not refuse treatment or transport.

2. A minor is determined not to be a patient:
   1. Any minor at a scene that you chose not to transport should have a record that includes identification, their relationship to the incident, your evaluation, and what responsible adult they were left with (i.e., law enforcement or fire) pending reaching their parents or guardians.
   2. If you are asked by another agency to transport minors who are not patients, do so only when the actual patients' are going to be adequately and promptly managed first. Consider asking for Medical Control assistance with minors involved where this may become an issue.
   3. It is better to transport a non-patient minor if there are extenuating circumstances, than to not do so despite lack of clear medical duty to act.

1. It is not difficult to imagine situations where we may have a duty to non-patients due to the number of persons (school bus accident) or other times when removing minors from a scene to shelter is essential. We may be the only transport available in situations like that.