YORK COUNTY, PA - In response to the nearly 40,000 people in the state of Pennsylvania that are arrested each year for DUI charges, authorities have announced that it plans to offer training for its police officers to become phlebotomists.
According to ABC27, Pennsylvania will become the 23rd state to offer this type of training to its officers. Of the 40,000 people arrested each year for a DUI charge, Pennsylvania DUI Association Executive Director Leo Hegarty said, "A lot of those require blood draw if there's drugs suspected."
It could also depend on the location of the arrest. Hegarty said, "They have a significant drive time to the hospital or the medical facility where they're going to draw the blood." Many times, once the officer gets to the hospital or medical facility, they have to wait a very long time to get the person's blood drawn.
Hegarty added, "For an available phlebotomist to draw blood and then they have to drive back to the station for further processing before the impaired driving suspect is ultimately released or arraigned." In response to all of this, the Pennsylvania DUI Association is partnering with WellSpan Health to train police officers to draw blood on someone when impairment is suspected.
The Association claims that by doing this, it will cut down on the time it currently takes for an officer to transport someone to a hospital or medical facility to get their blood drawn and it will help keep roads and communities safer.
Police Chief Anthony Kuklinksi, who is in Hamburg, Berks County, said, "This is a science and that's how I view it. There's nothing like going in and when you're prosecuting a case saying this is irrefutable evidence that will lead to prosecution and conviction." Hegarty added, "With the prevalence of drug impaired driving, it's known that a lot of drugs dissipate very quickly in the person's blood, specifically marijuana, delta nine, TCH dissipates very quickly in human blood to very low and sometimes non-detectable limits.
And getting, getting blood drawn closer to the time of actual drive, it provides a more accurate and reliable toxicology specimen for prosecutorial purposes." By having officers trained to take blood, it will also require less support and resources from hospital emergency departments. Instead of the officer taking you to the hospital or medical center to get blood drawn, the person will be taken straight to the police station.
Director of Laboratory Services Educational Programs, Medical Laboratory Science & Phlebotomy Programs at WellSpan, Christina Scott said, "It is important to note that Phlebotomists will remain available for DUI draws at health care systems across the Commonwealth. It is also important to reiterate that NMS labs will continue to handle the testing aspect just as it is now."
According to WGAL, the training is being paid for through a federal grant. Organizers of this effort hope to have 18 officers trained as phlebotomists by the end of the year.
According to ABC27, Pennsylvania will become the 23rd state to offer this type of training to its officers. Of the 40,000 people arrested each year for a DUI charge, Pennsylvania DUI Association Executive Director Leo Hegarty said, "A lot of those require blood draw if there's drugs suspected."
It could also depend on the location of the arrest. Hegarty said, "They have a significant drive time to the hospital or the medical facility where they're going to draw the blood." Many times, once the officer gets to the hospital or medical facility, they have to wait a very long time to get the person's blood drawn.
Hegarty added, "For an available phlebotomist to draw blood and then they have to drive back to the station for further processing before the impaired driving suspect is ultimately released or arraigned." In response to all of this, the Pennsylvania DUI Association is partnering with WellSpan Health to train police officers to draw blood on someone when impairment is suspected.
The Association claims that by doing this, it will cut down on the time it currently takes for an officer to transport someone to a hospital or medical facility to get their blood drawn and it will help keep roads and communities safer.
Police Chief Anthony Kuklinksi, who is in Hamburg, Berks County, said, "This is a science and that's how I view it. There's nothing like going in and when you're prosecuting a case saying this is irrefutable evidence that will lead to prosecution and conviction." Hegarty added, "With the prevalence of drug impaired driving, it's known that a lot of drugs dissipate very quickly in the person's blood, specifically marijuana, delta nine, TCH dissipates very quickly in human blood to very low and sometimes non-detectable limits.
And getting, getting blood drawn closer to the time of actual drive, it provides a more accurate and reliable toxicology specimen for prosecutorial purposes." By having officers trained to take blood, it will also require less support and resources from hospital emergency departments. Instead of the officer taking you to the hospital or medical center to get blood drawn, the person will be taken straight to the police station.
Director of Laboratory Services Educational Programs, Medical Laboratory Science & Phlebotomy Programs at WellSpan, Christina Scott said, "It is important to note that Phlebotomists will remain available for DUI draws at health care systems across the Commonwealth. It is also important to reiterate that NMS labs will continue to handle the testing aspect just as it is now."
According to WGAL, the training is being paid for through a federal grant. Organizers of this effort hope to have 18 officers trained as phlebotomists by the end of the year.
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