2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 32: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS › Chapter 2-B: MAINE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT OF 1982 › 32 §85-A. Emergency medical dispatch personnel

§85-A. Emergency medical dispatch personnel
1.  Definitions.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Bureau" means the Emergency Services Communication Bureau within the Public Utilities Commission.   [PL 2005, c. 303, §3 (NEW).]
A-1. "Emergency medical dispatch center" means any entity that holds itself out to be a provider of emergency medical dispatch services.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (NEW).]
B. "Emergency Medical Dispatch Priority Reference System" means a system approved by the bureau and the board that includes:
(1) A protocol for emergency medical dispatcher response to 9‑1‑1 calls;
(2) A continuous quality improvement program that measures compliance with the protocol through ongoing random case review of each emergency medical dispatcher; and
(3) A training curriculum and testing process consistent with the protocol.   [PL 2019, c. 339, §11 (AMD).]
C. "Emergency medical dispatch services" means any of the following services provided in the context of a 9-1-1 call:
(1) Reception, evaluation or processing of calls;
(2) Provision of dispatch life support;
(3) Management of requests for emergency medical assistance; and
(4) Evaluation or improvement of the emergency medical dispatch process, including identifying the nature of an emergency request, prioritizing the urgency of a request, dispatching necessary resources, providing medical aid and safety instructions to the caller and coordinating the responding resources as needed.   [PL 2019, c. 339, §12 (AMD).]
D. "Emergency medical dispatcher" means a person licensed by the board who provides emergency medical dispatch services as a member of an emergency medical dispatch center licensed by the board.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
E. "Provider of emergency medical dispatch services" means an emergency medical dispatcher or emergency medical dispatch center licensed by the board.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
F. "Public safety answering point" has the same meaning as in Title 25, section 2921.   [PL 2005, c. 303, §3 (NEW).]
G. "9-1-1 call" has the same meaning as in Title 25, section 2921, subsection 17.   [PL 2019, c. 339, §13 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 339, §§11-13 (AMD).]
2.  Mandatory qualifications.
The board, in consultation with the bureau, shall adopt rules governing qualifications for and standards to be observed by providers of emergency medical dispatch services. The rules must, at a minimum:
A. Establish licensing requirements for emergency medical dispatchers and emergency medical dispatch centers;   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
B. Establish minimum education and continuing education requirements for emergency medical dispatchers;   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
C. Establish a process for approving an Emergency Medical Dispatch Priority Reference System that all emergency medical dispatchers are required to follow;   [PL 2005, c. 303, §3 (NEW).]
D. Require an emergency medical dispatch center to inform the board when the center employs or terminates employment of an emergency medical dispatcher;   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
E. Establish or provide for Maine Emergency Medical Services approval of emergency medical dispatcher training programs, which must be conducted in accordance with standards approved by the board;   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
F. Establish qualifications for instructors of emergency medical dispatcher training programs;   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
G. Require regular reporting to the board by an emergency medical dispatch center with respect to the use of the Emergency Medical Dispatch Priority Reference System; and   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
H. Require that each emergency medical dispatch center appoint a director of emergency medical dispatch services to review and ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
[PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
2-A.  Requirement to provide emergency medical dispatch services.
A public safety answering point or other licensed emergency medical dispatch center must provide emergency medical dispatch services on all medical 9-1-1 calls directly or by transferring the call to another licensed emergency medical dispatch center.
[PL 2019, c. 339, §14 (AMD).]
3.  Prohibitions.
The following provisions apply to emergency medical dispatch services.
A. A person may not provide emergency medical dispatch services unless the person is licensed by the board as an emergency medical dispatcher in accordance with this section.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
B. An entity may not operate as a public safety answering point unless licensed as an emergency medical dispatch center in accordance with this section.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
C. A person may not offer a training course that is represented as a board-approved emergency medical dispatcher training course unless the person is approved by the board to provide such training in accordance with this section.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
D. An emergency medical dispatch center may not provide emergency medical dispatch services except in accordance with an Emergency Medical Dispatch Priority Reference System approved in accordance with this section.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
E. An entity may not hold itself out to be a provider of emergency medical dispatch services unless it is licensed as an emergency medical dispatch center.   [PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD).]
4.  Licensing actions.
A license issued pursuant to this section is subject to the provisions of sections 90‑A and 91‑A. Before the board or its subcommittee or staff takes any final action to suspend or revoke an emergency medical dispatch center license or to refuse to reissue an emergency medical dispatch center license, the board shall contact the bureau for input on the effect of such an action on the E-9-1-1 system and, notwithstanding section 91‑B, may, to the extent necessary for this purpose, disclose to the bureau information that is designated as confidential under section 91‑B.
[PL 2011, c. 271, §12 (AMD).]
5.  Effect on tort claims.
Nothing in this section increases any liability that may arise or be limited under Title 14, chapter 741.
[PL 2005, c. 303, §3 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2005, c. 303, §3 (NEW). PL 2007, c. 42, §1 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 271, §§11, 12 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 339, §§11-14 (AMD).