2023 Utah Code › Title 53 - Public Safety Code › Chapter 2d - Emergency Medical Services Act › Part 1 - General Provisions › Section 101 - Definitions.

Effective 7/1/2024
53-2d-101.
Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1)
(a) "911 ambulance or paramedic services" means:
(i) either:
(A) 911 ambulance service;
(B) 911 paramedic service; or
(C) both 911 ambulance and paramedic service; and
(ii) a response to a 911 call received by a designated dispatch center that receives 911 or E911 calls.
(b) "911 ambulance or paramedic services" does not mean a seven or 10 digit telephone call received directly by an ambulance provider licensed under this chapter.
(2) "Account" means the Automatic External Defibrillator Restricted Account, created in Section 53-2d-809.
(3) "Ambulance" means a ground, air, or water vehicle that:
(a) transports patients and is used to provide emergency medical services; and
(b) is required to obtain a permit under Section 53-2d-404 to operate in the state.
(4) "Ambulance provider" means an emergency medical service provider that:
(a) transports and provides emergency medical care to patients; and
(b) is required to obtain a license under Part 5, Ambulance and Paramedic Providers.
(5) "Automatic external defibrillator" or "AED" means an automated or automatic computerized medical device that:
(a) has received pre-market notification approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 360(k);
(b) is capable of recognizing the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular tachycardia;
(c) is capable of determining, without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation should be performed; and
(d) upon determining that defibrillation should be performed, automatically charges, enabling delivery of, or automatically delivers, an electrical impulse through the chest wall and to an individual's heart.
(6)
(a) "Behavioral emergency services" means delivering a behavioral health intervention to a patient in an emergency context within a scope and in accordance with guidelines established by the department.
(b) "Behavioral emergency services" does not include engaging in the:
(i) practice of mental health therapy as defined in Section 58-60-102;
(ii) practice of psychology as defined in Section 58-61-102;
(iii) practice of clinical social work as defined in Section 58-60-202;
(iv) practice of certified social work as defined in Section 58-60-202;
(v) practice of marriage and family therapy as defined in Section 58-60-302;
(vi) practice of clinical mental health counseling as defined in Section 58-60-402; or
(vii) practice as a substance use disorder counselor as defined in Section 58-60-502.
(7) "Bureau" means the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services created in Section 53-2d-102.
(8) "Cardiopulmonary resuscitation" or "CPR" means artificial ventilation or external chest compression applied to a person who is unresponsive and not breathing.
(9) "Committee" means the State Emergency Medical Services Committee created by Section 53-2d-104.
(10) "Community paramedicine" means medical care:
(a) provided by emergency medical service personnel; and
(b) provided to a patient who is not:
(i) in need of ambulance transportation; or
(ii) located in a health care facility as defined in Section 26B-2-201.
(11) "Division" means the Division of Emergency Management created in Section 53-2a-103.
(12) "Direct medical observation" means in-person observation of a patient by a physician, registered nurse, physician's assistant, or individual licensed under Section 26B-4-116.
(13) "Emergency medical condition" means:
(a) a medical condition that manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in:
(i) placing the individual's health in serious jeopardy;
(ii) serious impairment to bodily functions; or
(iii) serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part; or
(b) a medical condition that in the opinion of a physician or the physician's designee requires direct medical observation during transport or may require the intervention of an individual licensed under Section 53-2d-402 during transport.
(14) "Emergency medical dispatch center" means a public safety answering point, as defined in Section 63H-7a-103, that is designated as an emergency medical dispatch center by the bureau.
(15)
(a) "Emergency medical service personnel" means an individual who provides emergency medical services or behavioral emergency services to a patient and is required to be licensed or certified under Section 53-2d-402.
(b) "Emergency medical service personnel" includes a paramedic, medical director of a licensed emergency medical service provider, emergency medical service instructor, behavioral emergency services technician, other categories established by the committee, and a certified emergency medical dispatcher.
(16) "Emergency medical service providers" means:
(a) licensed ambulance providers and paramedic providers;
(b) a facility or provider that is required to be designated under Subsection 53-2d-403(1)(a); and
(c) emergency medical service personnel.
(17) "Emergency medical services" means:
(a) medical services;
(b) transportation services;
(c) behavioral emergency services; or
(d) any combination of the services described in Subsections (17)(a) through (c).
(18) "Emergency medical service vehicle" means a land, air, or water vehicle that is:
(a) maintained and used for the transportation of emergency medical personnel, equipment, and supplies to the scene of a medical emergency; and
(b) required to be permitted under Section 53-2d-404.
(19) "Governing body":
(a) means the same as that term is defined in Section 11-42-102; and
(b) for purposes of a "special service district" under Section 11-42-102, means a special service district that has been delegated the authority to select a provider under this chapter by the special service district's legislative body or administrative control board.
(20) "Interested party" means:
(a) a licensed or designated emergency medical services provider that provides emergency medical services within or in an area that abuts an exclusive geographic service area that is the subject of an application submitted pursuant to Part 5, Ambulance and Paramedic Providers;
(b) any municipality, county, or fire district that lies within or abuts a geographic service area that is the subject of an application submitted pursuant to Part 5, Ambulance and Paramedic Providers; or
(c) the department when acting in the interest of the public.
(21) "Level of service" means the level at which an ambulance provider type of service is licensed as:
(a) emergency medical technician;
(b) advanced emergency medical technician; or
(c) paramedic.
(22) "Medical control" means a person who provides medical supervision to an emergency medical service provider.
(23) "Non-911 service" means transport of a patient that is not 911 transport under Subsection (1).
(24) "Nonemergency secured behavioral health transport" means an entity that:
(a) provides nonemergency secure transportation services for an individual who:
(i) is not required to be transported by an ambulance under Section 53-2d-405; and
(ii) requires behavioral health observation during transport between any of the following facilities:
(A) a licensed acute care hospital;
(B) an emergency patient receiving facility;
(C) a licensed mental health facility; and
(D) the office of a licensed health care provider; and
(b) is required to be designated under Section 53-2d-403.
(25) "Paramedic provider" means an entity that:
(a) employs emergency medical service personnel; and
(b) is required to obtain a license under Part 5, Ambulance and Paramedic Providers.
(26) "Patient" means an individual who, as the result of illness, injury, or a behavioral emergency condition, meets any of the criteria in Section 26B-4-119.
(27) "Political subdivision" means:
(a) a city, town, or metro township;
(b) a county;
(c) a special service district created under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act, for the purpose of providing fire protection services under Subsection 17D-1-201(9);
(d) a special district created under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Special Districts, for the purpose of providing fire protection, paramedic, and emergency services;
(e) areas coming together as described in Subsection 53-2d-505.2(2)(b)(ii); or
(f) an interlocal entity under Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act.
(28) "Sudden cardiac arrest" means a life-threatening condition that results when a person's heart stops or fails to produce a pulse.
(29) "Trauma" means an injury requiring immediate medical or surgical intervention.
(30) "Trauma system" means a single, statewide system that:
(a) organizes and coordinates the delivery of trauma care within defined geographic areas from the time of injury through transport and rehabilitative care; and
(b) is inclusive of all prehospital providers, hospitals, and rehabilitative facilities in delivering care for trauma patients, regardless of severity.
(31) "Triage" means the sorting of patients in terms of disposition, destination, or priority. For prehospital trauma victims, triage requires a determination of injury severity to assess the appropriate level of care according to established patient care protocols.
(32) "Triage, treatment, transportation, and transfer guidelines" means written procedures that:
(a) direct the care of patients; and
(b) are adopted by the medical staff of an emergency patient receiving facility, trauma center, or an emergency medical service provider.
(33) "Type of service" means the category at which an ambulance provider is licensed as:
(a) ground ambulance transport;
(b) ground ambulance interfacility transport; or
(c) both ground ambulance transport and ground ambulance interfacility transport.
Amended by Chapter 16, 2023 General Session
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 310, 2023 General Session
Amended by Chapter 327, 2023 General Session, (Coordination Clause)
Amended by Chapter 327, 2023 General Session