§ 1023.24. Emergency medical responder.
(a) Roles and responsibilities. An EMR performs for an EMS agency BLS skills involving basic interventions with minimum EMS equipment as follows:
(1) As a member of a QRS to stabilize and improve a patient’s condition until a higher level EMS provider arrives at the scene. The EMR may then assist the higher level EMS provider if requested to do so.
(2) As a member of the crew of an ambulance or squad vehicle.
(3) As a member of a special operations EMS service.
(b) Certification.
(1) The Department will certify as an EMR an individual who meets the following qualifications:
(i) Completes an application for EMR certification on a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department.
(ii) Is 16 years of age or older.
(iii) Has successfully completed an EMS provider educational course for EMRs or by October 12, 2013, a first responder educational course previously approved by the Department as an educational course leading to first responder certification.
(iv) Has a current certificate evidencing successful completion of a CPR course acceptable to the Department.
(v) Has passed a written examination for EMR certification prescribed by the Department or passed an examination which the Department has determined to be equivalent in both content and manner of administration to the written examination for EMR certification.
(vi) Has passed a practical test of EMR skills for EMR certification prescribed by the Department or passed an examination which the Department has determined to be equivalent in both content and manner of administration to the practical test of EMR skills for EMR certification.
(2) The Department will also certify as an EMR an individual who completes an application on a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department, and who applies for EMR certification under § 1023.21(g) (relating to general rights and responsibilities).
(c) Triennial registration.
(1) An EMR’s certification is deemed registered for 3 years. Thereafter, an EMR shall triennially register the certification by completing a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department. An EMR shall submit the form or complete the electronic process at least 30 days prior to the expiration of a current registration. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in the EMR certification not being registered again before the prior registration expires. The Department will issue a new registration within 30 days after the EMR completes the form or the electronic process if the information provided establishes that the EMR has successfully completed one of the following:
(i) The EMR practical skills and written knowledge triennial registration examinations prescribed by the Department.
(ii) The continuing education requirements for triennial registration of an EMR certification in § 1023.31(b) (relating to continuing education requirements).
(2) An EMR who is a member of the armed forces who is returning from active military service and whose EMR registration has expired or will expire within 12 months after returning from active military service may secure an exception to the triennial registration requirements under § 1023.21(d).
(d) Scope of practice.
(1) An EMR’s scope of practice includes skills in the following skill areas, as published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, if the EMR has been educated to perform the following skills:
(i) Airway/ventilation/oxygenation.
(ii) Cardiovascular circulation.
(iii) Immobilization.
(2) An EMR’s scope of practice may be expanded to include BLS skills in other skill areas as the Department publishes in a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. An EMR may not perform those additional skills unless the EMR has received education to perform those skills and is able to document having received the education in one of the following:
(i) A course approved by the Department that covers the complete curriculum for certification as an EMR.
(ii) A course which is determined by the Department to meet or exceed the standards of a course approved by the Department under subparagraph (i).
(iii) A course for which the EMR may receive continuing education credit towards triennial registration of the EMR’s certification or, if the EMR was previously certified as a first responder, a course for which the EMR received continuing education credit towards first responder recertification prior to October 12, 2013.
(3) The Department will publish in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, at least biennially, a list of the skills the Department has approved as being within the scope of practice of an EMR.
Source The provisions of this § 1023.24 adopted October 11, 2013, effective April 10, 2014, 43 Pa.B. 6093.
Cross References This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 1023.23 (relating to ambulance attendant and first responder); and 28 Pa. Code § 1023.31 (relating to continuing education requirements).
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