Today’s correspondent is a

… a paramedic thinking about joining the police force at some point in the future. Was just wondering if you could shed some light on potential barriers (if any) and if it would be possible to work for both police/ ambulance statutory services concurrently. For example working part time / causal as a paramedic and police officer.  Would this be allowed legally speaking?

Most public sector employers and certainly the police forces and health services require you to have permission to engage in secondary employment (see for example Health Services Regulation 2013 (NSW) r 21(1)).   The NSW Police Use of Resources Guidelines (January 2024) says (p. 8)

Work undertaken in a secondary employment capacity should not impinge on the primary duties of a member and must be undertaken within their own time. Members must not use any NSW Police Force resource, including confidential information or police knowledge, while undertaking secondary employment.

The Secondary Employment Policy and Guidelines outline the requirements relating to resources and secondary employment.

The Secondary Employment Policy and Guidelines do not appear to be publicly available (see NSW Police, Policies & Procedures – list). 

One can only imagine the situation will be the same for all Australian police forces and statutory ambulance services.

A paramedic would have to consider whether they would be put in a conflict of interest if a patient disclosed criminal behaviour then the paramedic may find a conflict between their duty to respect the patient’s confidentiality and their sworn duty as a constable see for example:

Conclusion

If a person joined the police service and wanted to continue to work as a paramedic they would need to apply for appropriate permission from their primary employer and how they would manage any of the foreseeable conflicts between the different roles.

This blog is made possible with generous financial support from (in alphabetical order) the Australasian College of Paramedicine, the Australian Paramedics Association (NSW), the Australian Paramedics Association (Qld), Natural Hazards Research Australia, NSW Rural Fire Service Association and the NSW SES Volunteers Association. I am responsible for the content in this post including any errors or omissions. Any opinions expressed are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or understanding of the donors.

This blog is a general discussion of legal principles only.  It is not legal advice. Do not rely on the information here to make decisions regarding your legal position or to make decisions that affect your legal rights or responsibilities. For advice on your particular circumstances always consult an admitted legal practitioner in your state or territory.