SB 667

Generally, this bill changes ambulance staffing requirements and makes other

changes related to emergency medical personnel.

The bill allows an ambulance that is engaged in an interfacility transport to be

staffed with one emergency medical technician and one individual who has a

certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Currently, an ambulance may be

staffed with any of the following: any two emergency medical services practitioners,

licensed registered nurses, licensed physician assistants or physicians, or any

combination of those individuals; one emergency medical services practitioner plus

one individual with a emergency medical services practitioner training permit; or,

for certain rural ambulance service providers, one emergency medical technician

and one emergency medical responder.

Current law allows a rural ambulance service provider to upgrade the service

level of an ambulance to the highest level of license of any emergency services

practitioner staffing that ambulance if approved by the medical director. The bill

prohibits the Department of Health Services from requiring the rural ambulance

service provider to stock an ambulance with equipment to perform all functions that

the emergency medical services practitioner with the highest level of license may

perform in order to upgrade its ambulance service level.

Under the bill, an ambulance service provider or emergency medical services

program may not prohibit an emergency medical responder or emergency medical

services practitioner who is employed by or volunteering with it from being employed

by or volunteering with another ambulance service provider or emergency medical

services program.