Bill Text: NJ S2851 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes staffing requirements for certain emergency medical services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-25 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S2851 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2851-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes staffing requirements for certain emergency medical services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning emergency medical services and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act:
"Advanced life support" means an advanced level of pre-hospital, inter-hospital, and emergency service care which includes basic life support functions, cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, telemetered electrocardiography, administration of anti-arrhythmic agents, intravenous therapy, administration of specific medications, drugs and solutions, use of adjunctive ventilation devices, trauma care and other techniques and procedures authorized in writing by the commissioner.
"Basic life support" means a basic level of pre-hospital care which includes patient stabilization, airway clearance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, initial wound care and fracture stabilization, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the commissioner.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health.
"Emergency medical technician-basic" means a person trained in basic life support and certified or recognized by the commissioner in accordance with the standards for emergency medical technician-basic certification as set forth under N.J.A.C. 8:40A or a successor regulation.
"First responder" means a police officer, firefighter, or other person who has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services in a program recognized by the commissioner.
b. (1) Notwithstanding the provision of any law to the contrary, at a minimum, a basic life support ambulance shall be staffed with one emergency medical technician-basic and one first responder.
(2) An emergency medical technician-basic staffing a basic life support ambulance pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be present in the patient compartment of the ambulance if there is a patient in the ambulance and shall have the ability to request advanced life support services if necessary.
(3) A first responder
staffing a basic life support ambulance pursuant to the provisions of this
subsection shall: be at least 18 years of age, certified to administer cardio-pulmonary
resuscitation, be able to operate a basic life support ambulance as determined
by the commissioner, possess a certification from the National Safety Council,
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, American Red Cross,
Emergency Care and Safety Institute, the American Health and Safety Institute,
or an equivalent certification.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes staffing requirements for certain emergency medical services.
Under the bill, at a minimum, a basic life support ambulance is to be staffed with one emergency medical technician-basic and one first responder. An emergency medical technician-basic staffing a basic life support ambulance is to be present in the patient compartment of the ambulance if there is a patient in the ambulance and is to have the ability to request advanced life support services if necessary. A first responder staffing a basic life support ambulance pursuant to the provisions of this subsection is to: be at least 18 years of age, certified to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, be able to operate a basic life support ambulance, possess a certification from the National Safety Council, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, American Red Cross, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, the American Health and Safety Institute, or an equivalent certification.
The bill defines "basic life support" means a basic level of pre-hospital care which includes patient stabilization, airway clearance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, initial wound care and fracture stabilization, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the Commissioner of Health (commissioner). "Emergency medical technician-basic" means a person trained in basic life support and certified or recognized by the commissioner in accordance with the standards for emergency medical technician-basic certification as set forth under N.J.A.C. 8:40A or a successor regulation. "First responder" means a police officer, firefighter, or other person who has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services in a program recognized by the commissioner.
