This responsibility falls on individuals only in emergency situations when no officer
is present. Moreover, the duty would often be satisfied by calling the police, fire
department, or rescue services.…
In performing the duty to rescue, one acts on behalf of the community as a
whole. For this reason, one should receive compensation from the community for
any expense reasonably incurred or any injury suffered in the course of the rescue.
Any other rule would mean that some people would be required to bear a cost that
should properly be borne by the community at large, simply because they happened
to be at a place where rescue was required.…
Far from diminishing liberty, the recognition of a duty to rescue would enhance it
by strengthening protection for the most basic right of all—freedom from criminal
violence and other serious forms of harm. And by requiring action for the sake of
others, a duty to rescue also has the potential to promote a greater sense of community,
civic responsibility, and commitment to the common good.