Section 163-24-5 - Requirements, Criteria, and Unauthorized Uses of Funds1.Requirements. An application must:A. Be completed and submitted by an eligible EMS entity and its agent.B. Be completed in accordance with this rule and any guidance provided by the Director through Announcement of Funding Opportunity and Application.C. Include a project plan that meets the standards for the use of the funding; those standards are:I. The funding shall only be utilized for the following activities:a. Supplementing wages, benefits, stipends, and incentives for actively licensed emergency medical services persons;b. Supporting training directly related to the provision of clinical care, leadership, or management of EMS;c. Supplementing wages, benefits, stipends, and incentives for administrative support staff (e.g., service-level medical director, quality assurance and improvement officer, infection control officer, and training officer);e. Investment in capital expenditures not to exceed $50,000 in the aggregate.D. Include a project budget that meets the standards for use of the funding.2.Programmatic Criteria for Evaluating Applications. An application that meets the requirements of subsection one must be evaluated based on the following programmatic criteria: A. Based on the proposed programming, whether it aligns with the activities authorized in the previous section and whether the action will likely result in improved financial stability or workforce resiliency.B. If supplementing wages, ensure that EMS entities are not paying any individual staff member more than $76,500 annually with the awarded funding. This is not inclusive of associated standard employee benefits.C. If utilizing funding for programming related to the Maine EMS Plan for a Sustainable EMS System in the State of Maine: A Vision for 2035, ensuring that there is clear alignment with the vision document and/or any associated guidance, agenda, or action plan that has been published related to this document.D. If making a capital expenditure, ensure that all capital expenditures collectively do not exceed $50,000 in total. I. Only purchases valued at $5,000 or more are considered capital expenditures for the purposes of this rule.3.Unauthorized Uses of Funds. Applications shall also be reviewed for potential unauthorized uses of funding. Applications may be denied should it be determined that the applicant EMS entity intends to use the funding for unauthorized uses. The following are unauthorized uses of the funding: A. Expenses or losses reimbursed from any other source(s) or that other sources are obligated to repay.B. Expenses related to staffing needs that exceed an annual salary of $76,500, as prorated over the applicable period. This limit does not include standard employee benefit offerings (i.e., the cost of a staff member may be higher because the cost of benefits and salary exceeds $76,500).C. Construction, renovation, purchase, or acquisition costs for facilities.D. Payment for existing indebtedness.E. Payment on obligations incurred prior to the award of funds.F. Supplanting existing local subsidies or funding sources except if they replace volunteer labor, donated services, donated goods, or funds raised through community fundraising efforts (e.g., bake sales, dinners, etc.)16-163 C.M.R. ch. 24, § 5