Puget Sound Medic Collective Direct Action Medical Support

The following is a code of conduct for all members of PSMC are expected to live up to while representing PSMC. PSMC acts in full recognition of the fact that we are not the only medical collective in Seattle. This code of conduct only effects those who chose to represent PSMC, while they are representing PSMC and (with the exception of our client confidentiality police) does not effect how PSMC members will behave as individuals or with in other organizations that they are a part of. This is not meant to be a code of conduct for all street medics just those representing PSMC. This code of conduct can and will be revised with 90% agreement (or consensus -1 if the group consists of less then 10 people) by members of PSMC.

 

 

DO NO HARM

 

• All members of PSMC are expected to function on a do no harm model at all times when representing PSMC
• All members of PSMC are required to have at least current CPR/First Aid certification or at least 8 hour street medic training.
• All members of PSMC are expected to work with in there scope of skills and not to step beyond there certification levels.
• All members of PSMC are expected to remain sober while on shift, if any member of PSMC needs to take medication which may impair there ability to work as a medic they are expected to let other members of PSMC know.
• All members of PSMC obtain consent before practicing first aid on anybody.

 

CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY

 

• Any information a member of PSMC receives as part of there work as a medic is considered confidential information. Confidential information can not be shared outside of PSMC.
• All information emailed to the riseup account is considered confidential.
• At the discretion of the client, information can be shared to other working groups, or individuals (ex. a client my wish information on an injury with legal or media, but that is up to the client not the medic)
• PSMC may only share medic requests with other medics working outside of PSMC with the clients content.
• Medics are allowed to share limited info to there emergency contact (ex. a medic may let there emergency contact know that they are attended an event in which they face a risk of personal injury and or arrest.)
• Medics can share any public information about an event, person ect. client (ex. information publicly posted to facebook or reported in a newspaper will not be considered confidential.)

 

RESPECT

 

• All members of PSMC will treat each other with respect at all times.
• All members of PSMC will treat all protesters and potential clients with respect
• All members of PSMC will treat other medics on the scene not affiliated with PSMC with respect.
• Members of PSMC should treat police, media, targets of protests, and counter protesters, with as much respect as the organizers and participants want them to be treated, all with in the medics own discretion.
• No member of PSMC should ever treat Phoenix Jones or anyone associated with Phoenix Jones with anything remotely approaching respect.

 

NEUTRALITY

 

• PSMC takes no position on any internal conflicts with in the movement
• Being a medic is not a position of authority. Medics are not allowed to tell other protesters what to do or physically intervene in protest situations.
• PSMC members are allowed to make suggestions for personal safety, but these are suggestions not commands and at no point in time are members of PSMC able to give orders.
• If appropriated PSMC members can provided deescalation in situations at the medics discretion, but this stops at the point of physical intervention or verbal commands.
• PSMC members are not to engage with the media, unless specifically advocating for the privacy rights of a client, or at a clients request.
• PSMC members are not to engage with the police, unless specifically advocating for the privacy rights or physical safety  of a client, or at a clients request.
• PSMC members are encouraged to chant, dance cheer and mingle etc. during protests at there own discretion.
• PSMC can engage in de-arrests at there own discretion, but are by no means required to.
• PSMC must treat everyone who needs medical attention equally, a must make decisions about the order in which people are treated based solely on medical need. If a member of OSSM feels that they can’t for personal or political reasons provided the best care to an individual, they are responsible for handing that individual off to another qualified medic and caring for that person until another qualified medic arrives.
• PSMC members are volunteers so no medic will ever be force to attend a protest that they disagree with politically, personally or tactically. However once a member of PSMC agrees to attend an event they must comply with this code of neutrality.
• If during an event a member of PSMC is unable to remain neutral and feels that they must intervene. That member is no longer functioning as a medic, if possible must remove all signs of PSMC, and is no longer an PSMC medic for the remained of the event. Every time a member of PSMC “de-meds”in the middle of an event an accountability hearing will be held to determine if this member was in complacence with OSSM’s code of conduct.

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

 

• PSMC members agree to hold each other accountable for our action and hold each other accountable to this code of conduct.
• Any person outside of PSMC can and should complain about a medics conduct to the riseup account
• If a medic is accused of being in violation of this code of conduct, an accountability hearing will be held to determine the appropriate course of action on a case by case basis.
• During all accountability hearing PSMC members must treat each other with respect and the understanding that people make mistakes especially in stressful situation where snap decisions need to be made
• Potential repercussions for violation could include but are not limited to verbal warnings, probationary periods, limited access or no access to confidential information or expulsion from PSMC.
• Decisions about potential repercussions should be limited to the context and severity of the violation as well as the medic in questions previous performances as a medic, and history of violations, not personal feelings or political opinions of said medic.
• Decisions about potential repercussions should be made by ether 90% agreement (or consensus -1 if less then ten people attened) and should include the medic in question.
• If a medic decides that they are unable to comply with this code of conduct, or if PSMC decides a medic cannot comply with this code of conduct , then that medic will no longer be part of PSMC. In such a case that medic my join another affinity group or continue to show up to events as a medic, however other organizations will be informed that, that medic is no longer a part of PSMC.
• PSMC will not discourage other organizations from working with any other medic simply on the basis of a medic not being a part of PSMC.
• If a member of PSMC sees another medic, wether with PSMC or not, repeatedly behave in a way that is unsafe while identifying them as a medic and PSMC agrees with 90% consensus (or consensus -1 if less then ten people attend) then PSMC reserves the right to inform other groups that we feel this medic has repeatedly behaved in an unsafe manner and other groups will do with that information what they see fit.