1 Del. Admin. Code § 710-3.0
For the purpose of this regulation the following definitions are used:
"Advanced Life Support" or "ALS" means the advanced level of pre-hospital and inter hospital emergency care that includes basic life support functions including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, plus cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, electrocardiography, administration of anti arrhythmic agents, intravenous therapy, administration of specific medications, drugs and solutions, use of adjunctive medical devices, trauma care and other authorized techniques and procedures.
"Advertising" means information communicated to the public, or to an individual concerned by any oral, written, or graphic means including, but not limited to, handbills, newspapers, television, billboards, radio, internet or other electronic/wireless media and telephone directories.
"Ambulance" means any publicly or privately owned vehicle or vessel that is specifically designed, constructed or modified and equipped, and intended to be used for and is maintained or operated for the transportation upon the streets, highways, and waterways of the State for persons who are sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless.
"Ambulance service district" means a geographical area within the State as identified and established by the Commission.
"Basic Life Support" or "BLS" means the level of capability which provides EMT emergency patient care designed to optimize the patient's chances of surviving an emergency situation.
"BLS ambulance permit" means a permit given to each ambulance a BLS ambulance service provider wishes to use on the streets, highways, or waterways in this State and approved by the Commission or its designated representative.
"BLS ambulance service contract" means a written contract between either a primary or secondary ambulance service provider and an individual, organization, company, site location or complex or other entity for BLS ambulance service.
"BLS ambulance service provider" means any emergency or commercial ambulance service provider which provides BLS level intervention both through the level of personnel and training provided.
"BLS ambulance service provider license" means a license that validates a BLS ambulance service provider approved by the Commission to provide BLS ambulance service in this State.
"Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation" or "CPR" as defined by the American Heart Association means an emergency lifesaving procedure consisting of chest compressions or respirations performed when the heart stops beating.
"Center For Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS)" means the Federal agency which oversees Medicare billing and ambulance standards.
"Certification" means the authorization by the Commission to practice the skills of an EMT, EMR, or FTO within the State.
"Commercial BLS provider" means an organization that does not receive State or Federal funding and is a 100% for profit provider of BLS service.
"Commission" means the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission - The (DSFPC) State agency mandated in Title 16, Delaware Code to regulate the Basic Life Support System in the State.
"County or counties" refers singularly or collectively to New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties of the State.
"County paramedic service" means the paramedic service operated by a county with its own employees or under contract with another governmental entity.
"Credentialed ambulance driver" means a person who possesses a valid driver's license, Delaware DMV issued EVO card, Approved Health Care CPR and AED card.
"Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife" means a division of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control which regulates and enforces boating laws and regulations in this State.
"Delaware refresher course" means a course of instruction for re-certification required by the Commission for EMT's and EMR's that meets the guidelines of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National EMS Education Standards most current curriculum.
"Delaware State Fire School" means the institution referred to in 16 Del.C. § 6617 and under the supervision and control of the Commission.
"Delaware training standard for Delaware Emergency Medical Technicians & Emergency Medical Responders" means the most current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National EMS Education Standards curriculum.
"Emergency" means the BLS and ALS response to the needs of an individual for immediate medical care in order to prevent loss of life or aggravation or physiological or psychological illness or injury.
"Emergency medical dispatch system" means an approved protocol system used by an approved dispatch center to dispatch aid to medical emergencies which must include:
| * | Systematized caller interrogation questions |
| * | Systematized pre-arrival instruction; and |
| * | Protocols matching the dispatcher's evaluation of injury or illness severity with vehicle response mode and configuration. |
"Emergency Medical Responder" or "EMR" means an individual who has successfully passed Emergency Medical Responder course that meets the most current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National EMS Education Standards curriculum.
"Emergency medical services provider" or "EMS provider" means individual providers certified by the Commission to perform pre hospital care. For the purposes of this regulation this includes EMT's and EMR's.
"Emergency medical services provider agency" means a provider certified by the Commission and being dispatched by PSAP for emergencies within approved ambulance districts and mutual aid or by contract as a secondary ambulance provider within an approved ambulance service district.
"Emergency Medical Services Systems" or "EMSS" means a statewide system which provides for the utilization of available personnel, equipment, transportation and communication to ensure effective and coordinated delivery of medical care in emergency situations resulting from accidents, illness or natural disasters.
"Emergency Medical Technician" or "EMT" means the individual as defined in 16 Del.C. § 9702.
"EMT credentials" means current State of Delaware EMT certification card, National Registry EMT certification card and approved health care CPR and AED card.
"Facility fixed-site BLS ambulance service" means BLS service provider by a business or industry to serve a specific site/ facility. The service provider is certified by the Commission to operate within a specific site or facility.
"Facility fixed-site BLS service provider" means an organization or company which has been designated by the Commission for providing BLS service within a specific site/facility.
"Field training officer" or "FTO" means an experienced senior EMT who has been certified by the Commission to evaluate new EMTs to ensure they have the awareness of state protocols as well as knowledge and skills of trauma, anatomy, physiological, and pathophysiological components of EMS so they can safely operate on their own as an EMT.
"FTO refresher course" means a required course of instruction approved by the Commission for the re-certification of FTOs.
"Handbook of Delaware Boating Laws and Regulations" means a document published by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control that details Delaware Boating Regulations.
"HIPAA" means the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
"Hospital" means an institution having an organized medical staff which is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients, by or under the supervision of physicians, diagnostic and therapeutic services or rehabilitation services for the care or rehabilitation of injured, disabled, pregnant, diseased, sick or mentally ill persons. The term includes facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders within the scope of specific medical specialties, but not facilities caring exclusively for the mentally ill.
"Litter" means any device used to secure a patient's body and move them safely from 1 location to another.
"Medical command facility" means the distinct unit within a hospital which meets the operational, staffing and equipment requirements established by the Secretary, Delaware Health and Social Services for providing medical control to the providers of advanced life support services. Any hospital that operates an emergency medical facility and desires to be designated as a medical command facility shall maintain and staff such facility on its premises and at its own expense with exception of base station communication devices which shall be an authorized shared expense pursuant to the provisions of Title 16, Chapter 98.
"Medical control" means directions and advice normally provided from a centrally designated medical facility operating under medical supervision, supplying professional support through radio or telephonic communication.
"Medical control physician" means any physician board-certified or board-prepared in emergency medicine, or a physician certified on advanced trauma life support (ATLS) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) who is credentialed by the hospital within which a medical command facility is located, and who is authorized by the medical command facility to give medical commands via radio or other telecommunication devices to a paramedic or EMT. When a medical control physician establishes contact with a paramedic or EMT, and provides medical control instructions that exceed or otherwise modify the standing orders of the statewide standard treatment protocol, the paramedic or EMT shall, solely for the purpose of compliance with the Medical Practices Act, be considered to be operating under the license of said medical control physician.
"Medical Director" means a Delaware-licensed physician who is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or by the Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine or has received approval as an Ambulance Medical Director by the Delaware Office of Emergency Medical Services. The Medical Director shall be the chief physician for the ambulance service and under whose license all EMS providers of the ambulance service shall operate for the purpose of delivering the standing orders of the Delaware statewide standard treatment protocols.
"National Registered Emergency Medical Technician" or "NREMT" means a person who completed the most current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National EMS Education Standards curriculum and passed the NREMT examination.
"National Registry Of Emergency Medical Technicians" or "NREMT" means the nationally recognized organization for the testing and registering of persons who have completed the most current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National EMS Education Standards, paramedic, EMT and EMR courses.
"Non-certified provider" means any person providing patient care and placing patient care reports into the Commission approved data collection system without a current Delaware EMT certification.
"Non-Emergency Ambulance Service Provider" means an organization or company which has been authorized by the Commission to provide Non-Emergency Ambulance Service within the State.
"Office Of Emergency Medical Services" or "OEMS" means the State agency responsible for ensuring the effective coordination and evaluation of the emergency medical services system in the State which includes providing assistance and advice for activities related toward the planning, development, improvement and expansion of emergency medical services.
"Paramedic" means a person who has successfully completed a course approved by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline or its duly authorized representative, documented by OEMS, recognized by the Commission as a Delaware EMT while in the performance of their duties with a county paramedic service or State agency.
"Patient" means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless, an individual who seeks immediate medical attention, or both.
"PCR" means patient care report.
"Pre-hospital care" means any emergency medical service, including advanced life support, rendered by an emergency medical unit before and during transportation to a hospital or other facility.
"Primary BLS ambulance service" means BLS ambulance service provided by the primary ambulance service provider certified by the Commission within a specific ambulance service district.
"Primary BLS ambulance service provider" means an organization or company which has been designated by the Commission as having primary responsibility for providing BLS ambulance service within a specific ambulance service district.
"Protocols" means written and uniform treatment and care plans, prepared pursuant to 16 Del.C. § 9802(23), for emergency and critical patients statewide that constitutes the standing orders for BLS providers.
"PSAP" means a Public Safety Answering Point such as a 911 center.
"Quality assurance" or "QA" means the retrospective review or inspection of services or processes that is intended to identify problems.
"Quality improvement" or "QI" means the continuous study and improvement of a process, system, or organization.
"Recertification training" means a defined curriculum that once completed allows the individual to continue practicing as an EMT, EMR, or FTO for a specific period of time as determined by the Commission.
"Responsible charge" means the individual who is identified as having both the responsibility and authority to ensure full and complete compliance with all requirements of this regulation.
"Secondary BLS ambulance service" means ambulance service provided under contract to specific locations within an ambulance service district by a BLS ambulance service provider other than the primary ambulance service provider.
"Secondary BLS ambulance service provider" means an organization or company which provides supplemental BLS ambulance service anywhere in the State and always under specific contractual agreements.
"Semiautomatic external defibrillation" means an external computerized defibrillator designed for use in unresponsive victims with no breathing or signs of circulation.
"State Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline" or "Board" means the body charged with protecting the consumers of the Delaware healthcare system through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and other health care professionals.
"Water ambulance" or " vessel" means any publicly or privately owned vessel that is specifically designed, constructed or modified and equipped, and intended to be used for and is maintained or operated for the transportation upon the waterways of the State for persons who are sick, injured, wounded or otherwise incapacitated or helpless.
1 Del. Admin. Code § 710-3.0
24 DE Reg. 471 (11/1/2020)
28 DE Reg. 41 (7/1/2024) (Final)