Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL › Part I - General Administration › Subpart 3 - Licensing and Certification › Chapter 60 - Emergency Medical Transportation Services › Subchapter C - Emergency Vehicles-Ground Transportation › Section I-6065 - Ground Transportation Ambulances

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Any vehicle used as a ground
					 transportation ambulance shall be designed and constructed by the manufacturer
					 as such and shall not be used to transport more than the intended patient
					 capacity of the vehicle.
B. The
					 following medical and safety equipment are requirements for certification of
					 all ground ambulances operating within the state of Louisiana.
1. All ground transportation ambulances shall
					 have a national standard public safety two-way radio communication (day-to-day
					 communications). The ambulance dispatch center(s) and/or point(s) of dispatch
					 must be capable of interactive two-way communications within all of the
					 service's defined area.
2. Two-way
					 radio with disaster communications shall be compatible with the statewide LWIN
					 system and statewide interoperability channels.
a. Any unit used during a declared disaster
					 that responds outside of the usual coverage area shall meet ESF-8 requirements
					 for communication capability.
3. Direct communication with a physician and
					 hospital must be conducted through an appropriate system sufficient to ensure
					 adequate communication such as:
a. a radio
					 compatible with the statewide LWIN system; or
b. wireless telephone; or
c. radio-telephone switch station (RTSS);
					 or
d. med. 10 system,
					 etc.
4. All ground
					 transportation ambulances shall carry basic life support equipment and medical
					 supplies as determined by the ambulance service/provider medical director and
					 governing body who have developed policies and procedures to maintain, update,
					 or not carry certain medical supplies and equipment as medically indicated or
					 contraindicated for their service area and have documentation available to
					 support the determination. Such basic life support equipment and medical
					 supplies shall be:
a. consistent with the
					 standards of practice for EMS practitioners;
b. consistent with the density of the
					 population served and geographic conditions of the region; and
c. consistent with the recommendation of the
					 Louisiana scope of practice for emergency medical technicians established in
					 R.S.
					 40:1133.14 and consistent with the joint
					 position statement for "equipment for ground ambulance". This includes, but is
					 not limited to the following:
i. ventilation
					 and airway equipment;
ii. cardiac
					 monitoring and defibrillation;
iii.
					 immobilization devices;
iv.
					 bandages/hemorrhage control;
v.
					 communication; and
vi. any other
					 equipment required by law that shall be maintained on the
					 ambulance.
5.
					 All ambulances that are not staffed and equipped to the advanced life support
					 level shall carry an automated external defibrillator (either automatic or
					 semi-automatic) with the appropriate lead cables and at least two sets of the
					 appropriate disposable defibrillation pads or electrodes, for adult and
					 non-adult patients, for monitoring and defibrillation. If the automated
					 defibrillator is also capable of manual defibrillation, an appropriate lock-out
					 mechanism (such as an access code, computer chip, or lock and key) to prevent
					 unauthorized use of the device by those persons not authorized to manually
					 defibrillate must be an integral part of the device.
6. All advanced life support emergency
					 medical response vehicles shall carry equipment and medical supplies dependent
					 on the level of licensure of personnel and as determined by the ambulance
					 service/provider medical director and governing body who have developed
					 policies and procedures to maintain, update, or not carry certain advanced life
					 support equipment and medical supplies as medically indicated or
					 contraindicated for their service area and have documentation available to
					 support the determination.
a. Such equipment
					 and supplies shall be determined by the ambulance service/provider medical
					 director and governing body who have developed policies and procedures to
					 maintain, update or delete certain advanced life support equipment and medical
					 supplies as medically indicated or contraindicated for their service area and
					 have documentation available to support the determination; and
b. Such equipment and supplies shall be
					 consistent with the Louisiana scope of practice for emergency medical
					 practitioners established in
					 R.S.
					 40:1133.14, including of all basic life
					 support equipment and medical supplies and the equipment and medical supplies
					 consistent with the Joint policy Statement for "equipment for ground
					 ambulance". The additional equipment and medical supplies includes, but is not
					 limited to the following:
i. vascular
					 access;
ii. medications;
iii. cardiac monitor/defibrillator with
					 transcutaneous pacing capabilities;
iv. any other equipment required by law that
					 shall be maintained on the ambulance.
c. All ground transportation ambulances shall
					 have functional temperature control in the patient compartment. Such
					 temperature control equipment shall function within the vehicle manufacturer's
					 recommended guidelines or specifications.