Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 560 CMR - STATE 911 DEPARTMENT › Title 560 CMR 5.00 - Establishing Certification Requirements For Enhanced 911 Telecommunicators, Governing Emergency Medical Dispatch, And Establishing 911 Call Handling Procedures › Section 5.03 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Abandoned Call
means a call placed to
				911 in which the caller disconnects before the call can be answered by the
				enhanced 911 telecommunicator.
Americans with Disabilities Act
or
ADA
means the Americans with Disabilities Act of
				1990.
Automatic Location Identification
or
ALI
means an enhanced 911 service capability that
				allows for the automatic display of information relating to the geographical
				location of the communication device used to place a 911 call.
Automatic Number Identification
or
ANI
means an enhanced 911 service capability that
				allows for the automatic display of a telephone number used to route or place a
				911 call.
Behavioral Health Crisis
means any
				situation in which a person's behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves
				or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or
				function effectively in the community.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR
				Certification
means a certification demonstrating successful
				completion of an American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other
				cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and certification program that is
				approved by the Department.
Certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher
means a certified enhanced 911 telecommunicator who meets the certification
				requirements to provide EMD services and to act as a certified emergency
				medical dispatcher for a PSAP or RECC.
Certified Emergency Medical Dispatch
				Resource
or
Certified EMD Resource
means
				a limited secondary PSAP, primary PSAP, regional PSAP, regional secondary PSAP,
				secondary PSAP, RECC, wireless state police PSAP, or private safety department
				that is equipped to provide ANI and ALI displays and that is approved by the
				Department to provide emergency medical dispatch services for a PSAP or RECC
				through emergency medical dispatchers.
Certified Enhanced 911
				Telecommunicator
means a person certified by the Department as an
				enhanced 911 telecommunicator.
Commonwealth
means the Commonwealth of
				Massachusetts.
Communication Service Provider
means
				an entity that provides communication services, as defined in M.G.L. c. 6A,
				§ 18A, to a subscriber or end user.
Deaf
means a severe to profound
				hearing loss resulting in the majority of circumstances, in an inability to
				effectively use a conventional telephone without the assistance of a test
				telephone or other nonvoice terminal device
Department
means the State 911
				Department.
Dispatch Life Support
means the
				knowledge, procedures, and skills used by emergency medical dispatchers in
				providing care and advice through pre-arrival instructions and post-dispatch
				instructions to callers requesting emergency medical services.
EMD Medical Director
means the
				qualified physician designated to oversee matters of medical control for the
				PSAP, RECC, or certified EMD resource.
Emergency Medical Dispatch
or
EMD
means the management of requests for emergency
				medical assistance by utilizing a system of:
(a) tiered response or priority dispatching
			 of emergency medical resources based on the level of medical assistance needed
			 by the victim; and
(b) pre-arrival
			 first aid or other medical instructions given by trained personnel responsible
			 for receiving 911 calls and directly dispatching emergency response
			 services.
Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocol Reference
				System
or
EMDPRS
means a system approved
				by the Department that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
				standards and that includes a protocol for emergency medical dispatcher
				response to calls, including structured caller questioning for patient
				condition, incident facts, and scene safety, pre-arrival instructions,
				post-dispatch instructions, selection of appropriate field resources to
				dispatch (such as first responder, basic life support, and/or advanced life
				support), and a continuous quality assurance program that measures compliance
				with the protocol through ongoing random case review of each emergency medical
				dispatcher.
Enhanced 911 Equipment
means 911 call
				processing equipment located at a PSAP.
Enhanced 911 Service
means a service
				consisting of communication network, database and equipment features provided
				for subscribers or end users of communication services enabling such
				subscribers or end users to reach a PSAP by dialing the digits 911, or by other
				means approved by the department, that directs calls to appropriate PSAPs based
				on selective routing and provides the capability for automatic number
				identification and automatic location identification.
Enhanced 911 Service Provider
means an
				entity that provides one or more of the following 911 elements: network,
				database, or PSAP customer premises equipment.
Enhanced 911 Telecommunicator
means an
				individual who acts in the capacity of a 911 call taker.
Hang Up Call
means a call placed to
				911 in which the caller disconnects when the call is answered by the enhanced
				911 telecommunicator.
Hard of Hearing
means a hearing loss
				resulting, in the majority of circumstances, in an inability to effectively use
				a telephone without the assistance of sound amplification control or a
				telephone without the use of a hearing aid and a hearing aid compatible
				handset.
Limited Secondary PSAP
means a PSAP
				equipped, at a minimum, with automatic number identification and automatic
				location identification display or printout capability. It receives 911 calls
				only when they are transferred from the primary PSAP. Data sent to a limited
				secondary PSAP cannot be re-routed to another location and may not necessarily
				be transmitted simultaneously with the voice call.
Medical Control
means the clinical
				oversight by a qualified physician of all components of the emergency medical
				dispatch system, including, without limitation, treatment protocols, medical
				direction, training of personnel, quality assurance and continuous quality
				improvement.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or
				NHTSA Standards
means the EMD curriculum of The United States
				Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety
				Administration.
Office of Emergency Medical Services
or
OEMS
means the Office of Emergency Medical Services
				within the Department of Public Health.
Post-dispatch Instructions
means
				case-specific advice, warnings, and treatments given by an emergency medical
				dispatcher whenever possible and appropriate after dispatching field responders
				in accordance with a Department-approved EMDPRS.
Pre-arrival Instructions
means
				scripted medical instructions given whenever possible and appropriate to
				provide necessary assistance and control of the situation, including without
				limitation, potential life-saving instructions and post-dispatch instructions,
				prior to arrival of emergency medical services personnel in accordance with a
				Department-approved EMDPRS.
Primary Public Safety Answering Point
or
Primary PSAP
means a facility equipped with
				automatic number identification and automatic location identification displays,
				and is the first point of reception of a 911 call. It serves the municipality
				in which it is located.
Private Safety Department
means an
				entity, except for a municipality or a public safety department, that provides
				emergency police, fire, ambulance or medical services.
Public Safety Answering Point
or
PSAP
means a facility assigned the responsibility of
				receiving 911 calls and, as appropriate, directly dispatching emergency
				response services or transferring or relaying emergency 911 calls to other
				public or private safety agencies or other PSAPs.
Public Safety Department
means a
				functional division of a municipality or a state that provides fire fighting,
				law enforcement, ambulance, medical, or other emergency medical
				services.
Quality Assurance
means a systematic
				program and services consisting of medical control, medical review, call
				review, call tracking, deficiency identification, and remediation of emergency
				medical dispatch personnel, policies, and procedures.
Regional Emergency Communications
				Center
or RECC means a facility operated by or on behalf of two or
				more municipalities or governmental bodies, or combination thereof, as approved
				by the department, that enter into an agreement for the establishment and
				provision of regional dispatch and coordination of emergency services for all
				such municipalities or governmental bodies, including but not limited to, a
				regional PSAP that provides enhanced 911 service and police, fire protection,
				and emergency medical services dispatch, including services provided by a
				private safety department.
Regional PSAP
means a PSAP that is
				operated by or on behalf of two or more municipalities or governmental bodies,
				or combination thereof, approved by the department, for the operation of
				enhanced 911 call taking and call transfer activities. A regional PSAP may also
				be engaged in, by agreement, the dispatching or control of public safety
				resources serving some or all of the municipalities or governmental bodies that
				comprise the regional PSAP, including where services are provided by a private
				safety department. If the regional PSAP serves all such municipalities or
				governmental bodies for the operation of enhanced 911 call taking and call
				transfer activities and dispatch services, including where such dispatch
				services are provided by a public safety department, it shall be considered a
				regional emergency communications center for purposes of M.G.L. c. 6A, §
				18B. The regional PSAP shall be equipped with automatic number identification
				and automatic location identification displays, as approved by the department,
				and is the first point of reception of a 911 call.
Regional Secondary PSAP
means a
				facility operated by or on behalf of three or more municipalities or
				governmental bodies, or a combination thereof, approved by the department, that
				enter into an agreement for the establishment and provision of regional
				dispatch and coordination of either police, fire protection or emergency
				medical services, or any combination thereof. A regional secondary PSAP is
				equipped with automatic number identification and automatic location
				identification displays. It receives 911 calls only when transferred from a
				primary or regional PSAP or on an alternative routing basis when calls cannot
				be completed to the primary or regional PSAP.
Ringing PSAP
means a PSAP equipped for
				receipt of voice communications only, and may not operate 24 hours each day. It
				receives 911 calls only when they are transferred from the primary PSAP.
Secondary PSAP
means a PSAP equipped
				with automatic number identification and automatic location identification
				displays. It receives 911 calls only when they are transferred from the primary
				PSAP or on an alternative routing basis when calls cannot be completed to the
				primary PSAP.
Silent Call
means a 911 call received
				at a PSAP in which no audible voice or tone is received and the caller does not
				disconnect.
Silent Call Procedure
means the
				enhanced 911 service feature, as prescribed by the Department, that allows an
				enhanced 911 telecommunicator to respond to silent calls so that a 911 caller
				who is unable to verbally communicate the emergency over the telephone may
				receive the appropriate response.
Text Telephone
or
TTY
means a machine that employs graphic communication
				in the transmission of coded signals through a wire or radio communications
				system.
Wireless State Police PSAP
means a
				state police facility assigned the responsibility of primarily or entirely
				receiving wireless 911 calls and, as appropriate, dispatching emergency
				response services or transferring or relaying emergency 911 calls to other
				public or private safety departments or other PSAPs.