32 §85. Emergency medical persons - Maine Statutes

Title 32: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS

Chapter 2-B: MAINE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT OF 1982

§85. Emergency medical persons

1. Basic and advanced skills. With advice from and in consultation with the Medical Direction and Practices Board, the board may provide, by rule, which skills, techniques and judgments constitute a basic emergency medical treatment.

[ 2007, c. 274, §11 (AMD) .]

2. Advanced emergency medical treatment. With the advice and consultation noted in subsection 1, the board may provide, by rule, which advanced skills, techniques and judgments may be supervised by a physician by means of standing orders, by voice radio and by other means. In every case, advanced emergency medical treatment must be given in accordance with protocols adopted by the Medical Direction and Practices Board.

The board may establish by rule appropriate licensure levels for advanced emergency medical technicians and fix the qualifications for persons to hold those licenses.

[ 2001, c. 229, §3 (AMD) .]

3. Minimum requirements for initial licensing. In setting rules for the initial licensure of emergency medical services persons, the board shall ensure that a person is not licensed to care for patients unless that person's qualifications are at least those specified in this subsection. Any person who meets these conditions is considered to have the credentials and skill demonstrations necessary for licensure to provide emergency medical treatment.

A. The person must have completed successfully the training specified in rules adopted by the board pursuant to the Maine Administrative Procedure Act. [1995, c. 161, §5 (AMD).]

B. [2007, c. 274, §12 (RP).]

C. The person must have successfully completed a state written test for basic emergency medical treatment and a board-approved practical evaluation of emergency medical treatment skills. [2007, c. 274, §13 (AMD).]

D. [2001, c. 474, §1 (RP).]

The board shall obtain criminal history record information containing a record of conviction data from the Maine Criminal Justice Information System for an applicant seeking initial licensure under this subsection. Information obtained pursuant to this subsection is confidential and may be used only to determine suitability for initial issuance of a license to provide emergency medical services. The results of criminal history record checks received by the board are for official use only and may not be disseminated outside the board. The applicant for initial licensure shall pay the expense of obtaining the information required by this subsection.

[ 2007, c. 274, §§12, 13 (AMD) .]

4. Minimum requirements for relicensing. The board shall set by rule the license and relicensing requirements and the relicensing interval for emergency medical services persons. A person who is duly licensed in Maine as an emergency medical services person must be issued a renewal license if the following requirements are met:

A. The person must have satisfactorily completed relicensure training as defined in the rules; and [1991, c. 742, §3 (NEW).]

If the person is not duly licensed at the time of application, the person must demonstrate skill and knowledge as defined in the rules.

To maintain a valid license, an emergency medical services person must meet the criteria set out in this section. If those criteria are not met, a person does not hold a valid license and must reapply for licensure.

A criminal history record check for information containing a record of conviction data from the Maine Criminal Justice Information System is not required for the relicensing of emergency medical services personnel.

B. The person must have satisfactorily demonstrated competence in the skills required for the license level. Skill competence may be satisfied by a combination of run report reviews and continuing education training programs conducted in accordance with the rules or by satisfactorily completing the state written test and a board-approved practical evaluation of emergency medical treatment skills. [2007, c. 274, §14 (AMD).]

[ 2007, c. 274, §14 (AMD) .]

5. Ambulance attendants grandfathered. An ambulance attendant having a license under this section on August 30, 1996 is grandfathered for the purposes of licensing and is not subject to rules affecting the licensing of ambulance attendants adopted by the board after August 30, 1996.

[ 1997, c. 26, §1 (NEW); 1997, c. 26, §2 (AFF) .]

6. Ambulance operator course. By January 1, 2007, a person whose job description includes operating an ambulance in an emergency mode or transporting a patient must possess within 6 months of being employed, certification of successful completion of a basic ambulance vehicle operator course, or a course that has been approved by the board as an equivalent, in order to operate an ambulance in an emergency mode or to transport a patient. This requirement applies to all paid and volunteer ambulance operators and transporters. This requirement is in addition to vehicle operator requirements of Title 29-A or other law. A person whose job description includes operating an ambulance in an emergency mode or transporting a patient who successfully completes a basic ambulance vehicle operator course or a course that has been approved by the board as an equivalent may apply to the board for reimbursement for the cost of the course.

[ 2005, c. 664, Pt. O, §1 (AMD) .]

SECTION HISTORY

1981, c. 661, §2 (NEW). 1985, c. 730, §§11,16 (AMD). 1989, c. 857, §69 (AMD). 1991, c. 588, §13 (AMD). 1991, c. 613, (AMD). 1991, c. 742, §§1-3 (AMD). 1993, c. 152, §§1,2 (AMD). 1995, c. 161, §§5,6 (AMD). 1997, c. 26, §1 (AMD). 1997, c. 26, §2 (AFF). 1999, c. 182, §8 (AMD). 1999, c. 764, §1 (AMD). 2001, c. 45, §1 (AMD). 2001, c. 229, §3 (AMD). 2001, c. 474, §1 (AMD). 2001, c. 697, §C1 (AMD). 2003, c. 559, §1 (AMD). 2005, c. 664, §O1 (AMD). 2005, c. 681, §§1,2 (AMD). 2007, c. 274, §§11-14 (AMD).