Stafford Township Emergency Medical Services

New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services Heather Howard
P.O. Box 360 Commissioner

Department of Health and Senior Services Proposes to Amend
N.J.A.C. 8:40A, Emergency Medical Technician—Basic: Training and Certification

The Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Division of Health Infrastructure Preparedness and Emergency Response of the Department of Health and Senior Services is proposing amendments, a repeal, and new rules at N.J.A.C. 8:40A, which establishes standards for the training and certification of Emergency Medical Technician—Basics (EMT—Basics). The notice of proposal appears in the July 7, 2008, issue of the New Jersey Register.

The proposed amendments, repeal, and new rules would implement technical changes throughout the chapter, and would implement the following substantive changes:

Require additional emergency preparedness training for EMT-Basics, to implement the recommendations of the New Jersey Domestic Security Task Force that EMT-Basics receive training in Hazardous Materials Level 1 Awareness, Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness, and Incident Command System 100 Procedures. In addition, the proposed amendments would implement Executive Order No. 50 (Governor Codey, August 5, 2005), which requires EMT-Basics to complete ICS-700, an introductory course to the National Incident Management System (NIMS);
Restate in a proposed new rule the criminal history record review procedure; continue to require applicants to pay the cost of obtaining criminal history records from law enforcement agencies; and expand the breadth of criminal history record reviews of EMT-Basics and EMT-Basic Instructors to authorize the Department to examine the criminal history records of EMT-Basics and EMT-Basic Instructors in states and jurisdictions outside of New Jersey;
Expand the scope of practice of EMT—Basics to include the following “physician-directed protocols,” that is, EMT—Basics would be authorized to perform these procedures only under the supervision of a physician medical director:
o The administration of epinephrine auto injector devices, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 26:2K-47.1 et seq., which requires the Department to develop protocols for this procedure; and
o The administration of nerve agent antidote kits (NAAKs) to themselves and to fellow EMS crewmembers; and
o The authorized but not required use of esophageal or multilumen airway management devices on adult patients suffering from cardiac arrest, in accordance with recommendations of the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council and the Mobile Intensive Care Unit Advisory Council that the Department develop protocols for these procedures;
Authorize the Department to use an alternate EMT-Basic testing service provider, and establish requirements applicable to students and providers with respect to testing procedures, recordkeeping, and other matters;
Establish procedures for EMT-Basics to establish a publicly accessible “address of record” in addition to an actual physical address with the Department;
Establish reporting requirements for EMT-Basics who are first responders to the scene of unexpected infant and child deaths, developed in cooperation with the State Medical Examiner and consistent with recommendations of the Sudden Child Death Autopsy Protocol Committee established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-88.10; and
Promulgate forms to be used to comply with chapter reporting requirements.
The public has until September 7, 2008, to comment on the proposal. Persons wishing to comment on the proposal must submit their comments in writing via the United States Postal System to Ruth Charbonneau, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360. Written comments on the proposal must be postmarked on or before September 7, 2008, which is the close of the 60-day public comment period.

A copy of the proposed rules may be found in the New Jersey Register at 40 N.J.R. 3869(a), available at most law libraries. The Department will post an unofficial copy of the rule proposal on the OEMS website at http://nj.gov/health/ems/index.shtml as soon as it is available. The OEMS estimates that an unofficial copy will be posted on the OEMS website in 10-15 business days.