A new partnership in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, is changing how some DUI investigations are handled — and it’s sparked strong reactions from EMS professionals nationwide.

Under the agreement, certified fire department paramedics can perform on-scene evidentiary blood draws when requested by sheriff’s deputies, particularly when a suspect isn’t being transported to the hospital. Officials say the change will streamline enforcement, reduce case delays and minimize unnecessary hospital trips.

But many paramedics see this move as crossing a line — blurring the boundaries between medical care and law enforcement duties, and opening the door to legal entanglements and ethical concerns.

|MORE: Ind. county paramedics to draw blood at DUI investigations in partnership with sheriff’s office

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