Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 105 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH › Title 105 CMR 170.000 - Emergency Medical Services System › Section 170.305 - Staffing

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(A) Each ambulance and EFR service shall at
			 all times maintain an adequate number of EMS personnel to staff EMS vehicles to
			 ensure compliance with the requirements of
			 105
			 CMR 170.385 and to carry out its
			 responsibilities of service under the applicable service zone
			 plan(s).
(B)
BLS
			 Staffing
.
(1) When a Class I, II
			 or V ambulance transports a patient receiving care at the BLS level, the
			 ambulance must be staffed with at least one EMT, who, is at a minimum,
			 certified at the EMT-Basic level, as set forth in
			 105
			 CMR 170.810, who shall be responsible for
			 providing patient care, and one person trained to the first responder level,
			 who meets all the minimum training requirements of
			 105 CMR
			 171.000, provided that the conditions set forth in
			 105
			 CMR 170.305(B)(1)(a) through
			 (f) are met. For BLS level transports in
			 which the conditions set forth in
			 105
			 CMR 170.305(B)(1)(a) through
			 (f) are not met, the ambulance must be
			 staffed with two EMTs, both of whom have at least EMT-Basic level
			 certification.
(a) The ambulance service, in
			 conjunction with its affiliate hospital medical director, must establish
			 minimum experience levels and skill competencies for each of its EMT-Basics
			 working in EMT/person trained to the first responder level staffing
			 configurations, as assessed by the affiliate hospital medical
			 director;
(b) The ambulance service
			 shall ensure that any person trained to the first responder level it deploys to
			 drive the ambulance meets the following criteria:
1. has a current valid driver's license in
			 good standing;
2. has no
			 disciplinary history with the Department;
3. discloses to the ambulance service and the
			 Department within five days of a conviction of a misdemeanor or felony in
			 Massachusetts or any other state, the United States, or a foreign country
			 (including a guilty plea,
nolo contendre
or admission to
			 sufficient facts, even if the plea or admission results in a continuation
			 without a finding), other than a minor traffic violation for which less than
			 $1,000 was assessed. The following traffic violations are not minor and must be
			 reported: conviction for driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving
			 to endanger, and motor vehicle homicide. The ambulance service shall obtain a
			 current Criminal Record Information System (CORI) on each person trained to the
			 first responder prior to deploying them on the ambulance;
4. shall not be under the influence of
			 alcohol, or impaired by any controlled substance, including cannabis, while on
			 duty involved in ambulance transports at an ambulance service; and
5. shall cooperate with, and timely respond
			 to, inquiries and investigations of agents of the Department.
(c) The ambulance service is
			 responsible for the actions or omissions of the person trained to the first
			 responder level while that person is on duty for the service involved in
			 ambulance transports. The service shall report to the Department any serious
			 incident involving a person trained to the first responder level in accordance
			 with 105 CMR 170.350;
(d) The ambulance service must provide
			 appropriate training to any person trained to the first responder level prior
			 to deployment, including, at a minimum, safe patient moving and stretcher
			 handling techniques;
(e) The
			 ambulance service must implement a procedure to ensure a second EMT-Basic is
			 immediately dispatched if the EMT working with a person trained to the first
			 responder level determines appropriate care of the patient's medical condition
			 and needs requires a second EMT-Basic; and
(f) The ambulance service must ensure that
			 all BLS-level responses staffed by one EMT and one person trained to the first
			 responder level are reviewed through the quality assurance/quality improvement
			 (QA/QI) program under the service's affiliation agreement, pursuant to
			 105
			 CMR 170.300(A)(4).