Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 007 - ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Division 28 - Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Systems › Rule 007.28.08-001 - Rules for Emergency Medical Services

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
AUTHORITY
The following Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Emergency
				Medical Services are duly adopted and promulgated by the Arkansas State Board
				of Health pursuant to the authority expressly conferred by
Act 435 of
				1975, Act 293 of 1981, Act 345 ofl987L_Act 1255 of 1997,
				Act 38 of 1999, Act 60 of 1999, Act 666 of 1999,
Arkansas Code
				20-13-200, and the Laws of the State of Arkansas including without limitation,
Act 96 of 1913 {Arkansas Statutes, 1947, Section
				82-110).
SECTION I.
			 DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of these regulations the following terms are
				defined:
A. Advanced Life Support
			 (ALS) Medical Director: An Arkansas licensed physician who provides medical
			 oversight for any licensed ALS EMS entity, is either Board Certified in
			 Emergency Medicine or holds a current ACLS card, and is identified with the
			 Department as the medical director.
B. Advanced Response Service: A licensed
			 non-transporting service that is requested to respond to the scene of an
			 emergency and provides Advanced Life Support care to ill or injured patients
			 prior to the arrival of a licensed transporting ambulance service, subject to
			 compliance with the EMS Rules and Regulations relating to the level of care
			 available from the responding personnel.
C. Aeromedical Crew Members: Personnel
			 responsible for patient care on an air ambulance.
D. Aeromedical Training Requirements: Minimum
			 training requirements recommended by the Governor's Advisory Council on EMS and
			 approved by the Department.
E. Air
			 Ambulance: Any privately or publicly owned helicopter or fixed wing aircraft
			 specially designed, constructed or modified, maintained or equipped to be used
			 for the transportation of patients.
F. Air Ambulance Operation: One aircraft
			 making one flight in response to a patient transport request.
G. Air Ambulance Service: An entity operating
			 an aircraft used for air transportation that is specifically designed to
			 accommodate the aeromedical needs of persons who are ill, injured, wounded, or
			 otherwise mentally or physically incapacitated or helpless; who may require
			 emergency medical care in-flight, and who, in a physician's opinion, cannot be
			 safely transported on a standard commercial or charter flight. Such a service
			 includes suitable aircraft, flight crews, and aircraft maintenance in
			 accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regulation (FAR 135),
			 adequate aeromedical crewmembers, aircraft fittings and equipment, and
			 provision for medical control of aeromedical crewmembers.
H. Ambulance: Those vehicles used for
			 transporting any person by stretcher or gurney upon the streets or highways of
			 Arkansas, excluding vehicles intended solely for personal use by immediate
			 family members.
I. Ambulance
			 Service: Those services authorized and licensed by the Department to provide
			 care and transportation of patients upon the streets and highways of
			 Arkansas.
J. Ambulance Service
			 Encounter Form: A patient data form, which has been approved by the Department,
			 that describes the EMS encounter and is left with the care facility at time of
			 service or within a reasonable time after service. This form must include a
			 patient narrative.
K. Arkansas Code
			 20-13-200: Arkansas Code Title 20 (Public Health and Welfare). Subtitle 2
			 (Health and Safety). Chapter 13 (Emergency Medical Services).
L. Basic Life Support (BLS) Medical Director:
			 An Arkansas licensed physician who provides medical oversight for any licensed
			 BLS EMS entity, holds a current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider
			 card or the American Red Cross CPR for the Professional Rescuer, and is
			 identified with the Department as the medical director.
M. Certification: Official acknowledgment by
			 the Department that an individual has demonstrated competence to perform the
			 emergency medical services required for certification as provided by these
			 Rules and Regulations.
N. Charter
			 Flight: The utilization of an aircraft that is not registered to a scheduled
			 air carrier.
O. Controlled Drugs:
			 Those drugs identified as Schedule II-V as designated by federal law
P. Coordination Point: A fixed location(s)
			 where information about the air ambulance service may be obtained and where the
			 activities of dispatch, resource allocation, and flight operations are
			 conducted.
Q. Department: The
			 Arkansas Department of Health.
R.
			 Office of EMS and Trauma Systems (Office): The organization within the
			 Department responsible for the enforcement of EMS legislation within the State
			 of Arkansas.
S. Emergency Medical
			 Services: The transportation and medical care provided the ill or injured prior
			 to arrival at a medical facility by a certified emergency medical technician
			 (EMT) or other healthcare provider and continuation of the initial emergency
			 care within a medical facility subject to the approval of the medical staff and
			 governing board of that facility.
T. Emergency Medical Services Advisory
			 Council: Those persons appointed by the Governor to assist and advise the
			 Department concerning matters dealing with emergency medical
			 services.
U. Emergency Medical
			 Service Communication Network: A system of both telephone and radio that is
			 utilized in the delivery of pre-hospital care to the victims of illness or
			 injury.
V. Emergency Medical
			 Technician: A person who has been certified as an EMT, EMT-Ambulance,
			 EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic and who may perform those services equivalent
			 to level of certification.
W.
			 Emergency Medical Technician - Instructor: A person who has been certified to
			 teach EMT courses after completing an approved DOT EMT-Instructor course and
			 completion of all of the instructor requirements.
X. Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate:
			 A person who has successfully completed an approved DOT training course that
			 includes formal course work, practical instruction, clinical and field
			 experience and who is certified to perform those skills and/or services set
			 forth in SECTION III.C.2 and SECTION III.D and functions in accordance with the
			 requirements set forth throughout these regulations.
Y. Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic: A
			 person who has successfully completed an approved DOT training course that
			 includes formal course work, practical instruction, clinical and field
			 experience and who is certified to perform those skills and/or services set
			 forth in SECTION III.C.l and SECTION III.C.2 and functions in accordance with
			 the requirements set forth throughout these regulations.
Z. Emergency Request: A call for assistance
			 to an incident or condition which is perceived by the caller to have created an
			 actual threat to human life or physical well being of such magnitude and
			 character that immediate medical intervention by any Emergency Medical
			 Technician or other health professional is appropriate and necessary for
			 medical reasons.
AA. Enrolled
			 student: An enrolled student is one who attends at least three (3) out of the
			 first five (5) sessions of an EMT course at an approved EMT Training
			 Site.
BB. Extrication Services: The
			 services provided by the use of equipment for the purpose of gaining access and
			 entry to entrapped patients.
CC.
			 FAA FAR Part 135- Federal Aviation Administration Regulations governing air
			 taxi operations and commercial operation of small aircraft.
DD. Flight Nurse: A registered nurse licensed
			 in Arkansas who completes the required aeromedical crew member training
			 requirements recommended by the Governor's Advisory Council on EMS and approved
			 by the Department.
EE. Flight
			 Physician: A physician with a current valid license to practice medicine in
			 Arkansas or in the state of primary operation of the air ambulance service, and
			 who is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
FF. In-charge Member: The individual
			 designated by the licensed service who is responsible for patient
			 care.
GG. Intercept: Instances
			 where a transporting service requests assistance from a service better able to
			 provide the necessary patient care and/or transport.
HH. Intravenous Fluid: A solution used for
			 the purpose of a volume replacement fluid or to establish and maintain
			 intravenous cannulation.
II. Lapsed
			 EMT: An Emergency Medical Technician (any level) that does not complete
			 recertification requirements prior to their expiration date as issued by the
			 Office.
JJ. Lay Evaluator: An
			 individual approved by the Office to evaluate the practical portion of the
			 Arkansas EMT Certification exam.
KK. Legend Drug: Any drug which requires a
			 prescription by a licensed physician as required by federal law.
LL. Medical Facility: Any hospital, medical
			 clinic, physician's office, nursing home or other health care
			 facility.
MM. National Registry of
			 Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT): A not-for-profit, independent,
			 non-governmental agency that functions as a registration agency which issues
			 certificates of competency verified by achievement of minimal competencies of
			 EMTs (Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic) through establishment and
			 implementation of uniform requirements of EMT training, examination, and
			 continuing education.(NREMT Brochure B-50/10-94/10M).
NN. Office: Office of Emergency Medical
			 Services & Trauma Systems.
OO.
			 Out of State Transfer (OST): Any person certified in another state or in the
			 military and are seeking Arkansas certification are referred to as out-of-state
			 transfers (OST's)
PP. Permit: An
			 authorization by the Department for the purpose of vehicle
			 registration.
QQ. Person: Any
			 individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public
			 or private institution, group, agency, political subOffice of this State or any
			 other state or political subOffice or agency thereof, and any legal successor,
			 representative, agent or agency of the foregoing. Federal government agencies
			 are excluded from this definition.
RR. Policy and Procedure: Any policy,
			 procedure, training requirement or equipment list related to these rules and
			 regulations as recommended by the Governor's Advisory Council on EMS and
			 approved by the Department. However, no policy or procedure shall supercede
			 these rules and regulations.
SS.
			 Probation: An administrative action imposed on an EMS service, EMT
			 certification, EMT-Instructor certification or authorized and accredited
			 training site for violations of EMS Rules and Regulations. The term of
			 Probation will be for no less than six (6) months and no more than two (2)
			 years unless otherwise covered in Section VII.A.4.
TT. Protocols: Standing orders authorized by
			 each licensee provided they are written or adopted by the Medical Director of
			 that licensed ambulance service, approved by the Department.
UU. Provisional Instructor: An EMT who has
			 completed initial instructor training but is in the process of finishing their
			 teaching requirements, with appropriate recommendation from the
			 Instructor-Trainer, before becoming a certified EMT Instructor.
VV. Reaction Time: The time between the
			 responding services' dispatch receives adequate information from the caller and
			 the time the vehicle and personnel initiate response.
WW. Revocation: An administrative action
			 imposed by the Department that terminates an EMS service license, EMT
			 certification, EMT-Instructor certification or authorized training site for
			 violating EMS Rules and Regulations.
XX. Service Area: The primary area of
			 operation within a county for a licensed ambulance service as defined by that
			 service and on file with the Office of EMS and Trauma Systems.
YY. Service License: Authorization issued by
			 the Department to a person, firm, corporation, association, county,
			 municipality or other legal entity for the purpose of engaging in care and/or
			 transport of patients in the State of Arkansas.
ZZ. Suspension: An administrative action
			 imposed by the Department that temporarily removes an EMS service license, EMT
			 certification, EMT-Instructor certification or training site authorization and
			 accreditation for violating EMS Rules and Regulations for a time to be
			 determined by the Department.
AAA.
			 Training Site: Those organizations authorized and accredited by the Department
			 to provide EMS education.
BBB.
			 Training Site Authorization and Accreditation: Authorization and accreditation
			 issued by the Department to an organization for the purpose of engaging in EMS
			 education in the state of Arkansas.
CCC. Training Site Representative: Individual
			 responsible for the organization, coordination, and day-to-day operations of
			 the EMS training programs.
DDD.
			 Unsound Mind: means and includes the inability to perceive all relevant facts
			 related to one's condition and proposed treatment so as to make an intelligent
			 decision based thereon, regardless of whether the inability is only temporary
			 or has existed for an extended period of time or occurs or has occurred only
			 intermittently and whether or not it is due to natural state, age, shock or
			 anxiety, illness, injury, drugs or sedation, intoxication, or other cause of
			 whatever nature.
EEE. Volunteer
			 Ambulance Service: An ambulance service operating a I-B registered ambulance
			 that is staffed by personnel who perform and give their services of there own
			 free will without expecting any compensation.
FFF. Words implying the masculine gender may
			 be applied to both males and females.
GGG. Written Warning: An administrative
			 action imposed on an EMS service, EMT certification, EMT-Instructor
			 certification or authorized training-site for first-time or minor offenses
			 unless otherwise stated.