As used in this subchapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Accrediting body" means a national or international organization which:

(a) reviews the facilities, vehicles, equipment, and operations of an ambulance service;

(b) uses trained site-surveyors with experience in medical transport at the level of accreditation and license;

(c) provides ambulance service accreditation for no more than three consecutive years without an updated inspection and reaccreditation;

(d) assures that ambulance services with identified deficiency standards will implement corrective action or improvement plans to correct any deficiencies; and

(e) provides transparency by making publicly available its standards, policies, procedures, and a list of accredited programs.

(2) "Advanced emergency medical technician" has the meaning provided for under 37-3-102, MCA.

(3) "Advanced life support (ALS)" means a level of care provided by an EMT with any endorsement issued by the board, an AEMT, or a paramedic.

(4) "Advanced life support (ALS) kit" means, at a minimum, the equipment and supplies set forth under Table 5 of the Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix.

(5) "Advanced life support emergency medical service" means an ambulance service or nontransporting medical unit having capacity and licensed by the department to provide advanced life support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(6) "Advisory committee" means the advisory committee specified in 50-6-324, MCA.

(7) "Ambulance service" means an emergency medical service licensed by the department to utilize an ambulance for the transportation of patients.

(8) "Automated external defibrillator (AED)" has the meaning provided for under 50-6-501, MCA.

(9) "Basic life support (BLS)" means a basic life support level of care provided by an EMR or EMT that does not meet Advanced Life Support qualification.

(10) "Basic life support emergency medical service" means an ambulance service or nontransporting medical unit capable of providing care at the basic life support level and licensed as a provider under ARM 37.104.509.

(11) "Basic life support kit" means the equipment and supplies set forth under Table 4 of the Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix.

(12) "Board" means the Montana Board of Medical Examiners administratively attached to the Department of Labor and Industry.

(13) "Emergency care provider (ECP)" has the meaning provided for under 37-3-102, MCA, and for the purposes of this chapter, includes registered nurses with supplemental training.

(14) "Emergency medical responder (EMR)" has the meaning provided for under 37-3-102, MCA.

(15) "Emergency medical service incident" means an instance in which an ambulance service or nontransporting medical unit is requested to provide services, including community integrated health or a mutual aid request, and with respect to which any of the following occur:

(a) a patient was assessed;

(b) medical care was rendered;

(d) a patient was pronounced dead at the scene;

(e) a patient was transferred to another licensed service;

(f) a patient was transferred from one medical facility to another; or

(g) the person or persons for whom emergency medical service was dispatched refused treatment, transport, or both.

(16) "Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix" means the department's Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix (Version 1.0), which sets forth operational requirements for Emergency Medical Service providers. The department adopts and incorporates by reference the Appendix. A copy of the Appendix is available electronically at https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/EMSTS/ems/resources and may also be obtained from the Department of Public Health and Human Services, Public Health and Safety Division, Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems Section, 1400 Broadway, P.O. Box 202951, Helena, MT 59620-2951.

(17) "Emergency medical technician (EMT)" has the meaning provided for under 37-3-102, MCA.

(a) An EMT is equivalent to the emergency medical technician-basic as required under 50-6-322, MCA.

(18) "FAA" means the Federal Aviation Administration.

(19) "Level of emergency medical service" means basic life support, basic life support with authorization for limited advanced life support, or advanced life support.

(20) "Montana ECP Practice Guidelines" means the board-approved guidelines in ARM 24.156.2701.

(21) "Montana EMS Registry" means the electronic repository of data submitted by Montana emergency medical service agencies that is administered by the department for quality improvement and public health reporting purposes.

(22) "Paramedic" has the meaning provided for under 37-3-102, MCA.

(23) "Patient care report" means an accurate and complete record of the response by an ambulance service or nontransporting medical unit to each emergency medical service incident.

(24) "Permit" means the sticker affixed to a ground ambulance or a certificate placed in an air or ground ambulance indicating the ambulance vehicle has met the requirements of these rules.

(25) "Provisional license" means a temporary emergency medical service license granted by the department that is valid for a maximum of 90 days.

(26) "RN with supplemental training" means a registered nurse who has completed the supplemental training required to work on an ambulance or nontransporting medical unit.

(27) "Safety and extrication equipment kit" means the equipment and supplies set forth under Table 6 of the Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix.

(28) "Service manager" means the individual identified on the Emergency Medical Services license application as the service manager and who is responsible for ensuring service operations are conducted in compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

(29) "Service medical director" means a person who meets the requirements of a medical director as provided in ARM 24.156.2701 and provides offline medical direction for an emergency medical service pursuant to ARM 24.156.2732.

(30) "Stipulations" mean those conditions specified by the department at the time of licensing which must be met by the applicant in order to be licensed as an emergency medical service.

(31) "Supplemental training" means training for registered nurses approved by the service manager of an emergency medical service licensed at the basic life support level of service, or the service medical director for all other levels of service. A list of suggested training is set forth in Table 11 of the Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix.

(a) The training must recognize the registered nurse's education and experience and result in emergency medical competency at the emergency medical service's license level.

(32) "Temporary permit" means a written, non-transferable authorization of limited duration indicating an ambulance vehicle may be used by a licensed ambulance service until a permit can be issued.

(33) "Transportation equipment kit" means the equipment and supplies set forth under Table 7 of the Emergency Medical Services Rule Appendix.

(34) "Type of emergency medical service" means either an air ambulance fixed wing, air ambulance rotor wing, ground ambulance, or nontransporting medical unit.

History: 50-6-323, MCA; IMP, 50-6-323, MCA; NEW, 2023 MAR p. 1020, Eff. 9/9/23.