Nero's Law deadline extended for EMT, paramedic medical training for injured police K9s

On April 12, 2018, Yarmouth police Sgt. Sean Gannon lost his life and his K-9 partner, Nero, suffered life-threatening injuries during a shootout with a suspected drug dealer.

“We were shocked, and Nero was bleeding to death,” said Rep. Steven Xiarhos, R-Barnstable, who at the time was on the scene as Yarmouth’s deputy chief of police. “And all the paramedics and EMTs were not allowed to touch him because in Massachusetts, you (could) not legally help an animal and you (could) legally put it in an ambulance.”

Now, almost five years later, Nero’s Law, which was filed by Xiarhos and Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, and signed into law by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in February 2022, is prompting first responders across the commonwealth to undergo the necessary training to treat police dogs that have been injured in the line of duty.

Christopher Cowan, acting-Emergency Medical Services (EMS) supervisor for the Falmouth Fire Department, said he hopes to see Nero's law broadened to include more skills and medical treatments for injured police canines, such as the use of intravenous therapy and other medications not allowed under the current guidelines in the legislation. 

“I can see why they wouldn't give us those advanced skills for the canines because it almost becomes too much knowledge for us to try to retain,” he said. “And although Nero was a nice step, it's not really a lot — you've got paramedics throughout the state that make critical decisions for humans, why can't people make these critical decisions for canines?”

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As of now the language of the bill allows for the use of basic-level first aid, CPR, and other life-saving interventions such as the administration of naloxone. But advanced life support care — such as starting IVs and the use of drugs like ketamine or fentanyl — is not allowed, as licensed veterinarians are the only medical professionals authorized to use them on animals.

Initially, the deadline for training was set to be completed by all EMS workers by February of this year. But due to the large scale of the training operation, as well as other critical training courses, fire departments and EMS companies have been granted an extension of the deadline to February 2024.

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In Falmouth, EMS training on how to provide medical care to injured police dogs will take place in September, during the department's next fiscal year, because of other training the department has scheduled, Cowan said.

“I think that that would be more beneficial because we’ll have fewer things that I have to contend with in the next fiscal year,” Cowan said. “I’ll have plenty of space and I’ll have enough time to put together high-quality training for my department.”

Quicker rollout of Nero's Law training not possible

Hyannis Fire Chief Peter Burke said although some legislators would have liked to seen a quicker rollout, certain limitations made it difficult to conduct the training within the initial deadline.

“There wasn't enough time to build the curriculum, we had to wait for EMS to come up with the regulation,” Burke said. “But at the end of the day, it’s going to be a good product, the commonwealth is going to be safer for it, we’ll all be better off for it.”

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A state Department of Public Health spokesperson said EMTs and paramedics must complete the required training before they can provide medical assistance to injured police K-9s. As of yet, there is no data on the number of EMS and fire employees who have undergone training, the spokesperson said.

Xiarhos requested extending the training deadline.

“That's a good thing,” he said. “What happens, and it happens a lot with other laws, too, you realize that you just can't get 20,000 people trained in 12 months — so we just ask for an extension.”

Injured police dogs have been treated already

So far, EMS workers have used Nero’s Law to medically treat two state police dogs, Xiarhos said.

Although it is not something that occurs often, Burke said it would be “absurd” not to invest in the safety of police dogs — considering the challenging work they do.

“It's probably one of those things that you don't think of frequently,” Burke said. “Police canines and their handlers are very often at the front of what's happening, the first to respond, and the first there looking for suspects. So they're certainly at greater risk than perhaps others based on the nature of the work that they do.”

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Despite setbacks, Xiarhos said he has been visiting EMS employees and firefighters across Massachusetts to tell Gannon's and Nero’s story, as well as to sit in on training sessions.

“It's pretty special,” Xiarhos said. “I’ve been to little departments, like Uxbridge in Western Mass., and then I've been to Gillette Stadium — you couldn't get a bigger place — where we trained 400 EMTs and paramedics in one day.”

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