Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR British Columbia

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act Good Samaritan Act, RSBC 1996, c. 172
Scope of protection A person who renders emergency medical services or aid at the immediate scene of an accident or emergency is not liable for injury to or death of that person caused by their act or omission, unless grossly negligent. The Act does not apply to a person employed expressly for that purpose or acting with a view to gain.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute Covered by the Good Samaritan Act, RSBC 1996, c. 172 (no separate AED statute; use of a defibrillator falls under the general "emergency medical services or aid" protection)
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In British Columbia, the Good Samaritan Act protects anyone who renders emergency medical services or aid at the immediate scene of an accident: that person cannot be held liable for the victim's injury or death, except in cases of gross negligence. The Act covers emergency aid as a whole, which includes the use of a defibrillator, with no separate statute required. It does not apply to someone employed expressly for that purpose or acting with a view to gain.

No duty to act, but every reason to

In British Columbia, no law requires you to render aid: stopping to help rests entirely on your conscience, never on an obligation. The counterpart to that freedom is broad protection covering both first aid and the use of an AED, so long as you act in good faith. You are free to step in without fearing the legal consequences of your goodwill.

Why training matters

Cardiac arrest gives no warning: it strikes at home, on a hiking trail, in a Vancouver mall as readily as in a remote Interior community. Every passing minute without resuscitation cuts the odds of survival by about 10 percent, and across a province as vast as British Columbia, help can be several minutes away. That is why a trained bystander makes all the difference: their hands bridge the gap until the ambulance arrives. Training in CPR gives you the power to act wherever chance may place you.