Code of Massachusetts Regulations
560 CMR - STATE 911 DEPARTMENT
Title 560 CMR 5.00 - Establishing Certification Requirements For Enhanced 911 Telecommunicators, Governing Emergency Medical Dispatch, And Establishing 911 Call Handling Procedures
Section 5.03 - Definitions

Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024

Abandoned Call means a call placed to 911 in which the caller disconnects before the call can be answered by the enhanced 911 telecommunicator.

Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA means the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Automatic Location Identification or ALI means an enhanced 911 service capability that allows for the automatic display of information relating to the geographical location of the communication device used to place a 911 call.

Automatic Number Identification or ANI means an enhanced 911 service capability that allows for the automatic display of a telephone number used to route or place a 911 call.

Behavioral Health Crisis means any situation in which a person's behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR Certification means a certification demonstrating successful completion of an American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and certification program that is approved by the Department.

Certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher means a certified enhanced 911 telecommunicator who meets the certification requirements to provide EMD services and to act as a certified emergency medical dispatcher for a PSAP or RECC.

Certified Emergency Medical Dispatch Resource or Certified EMD Resource means a limited secondary PSAP, primary PSAP, regional PSAP, regional secondary PSAP, secondary PSAP, RECC, wireless state police PSAP, or private safety department that is equipped to provide ANI and ALI displays and that is approved by the Department to provide emergency medical dispatch services for a PSAP or RECC through emergency medical dispatchers.

Certified Enhanced 911 Telecommunicator means a person certified by the Department as an enhanced 911 telecommunicator.

Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Communication Service Provider means an entity that provides communication services, as defined in M.G.L. c. 6A, § 18A, to a subscriber or end user.

Deaf means a severe to profound hearing loss resulting in the majority of circumstances, in an inability to effectively use a conventional telephone without the assistance of a test telephone or other nonvoice terminal device

Department means the State 911 Department.

Dispatch Life Support means the knowledge, procedures, and skills used by emergency medical dispatchers in providing care and advice through pre-arrival instructions and post-dispatch instructions to callers requesting emergency medical services.

EMD Medical Director means the qualified physician designated to oversee matters of medical control for the PSAP, RECC, or certified EMD resource.

Emergency Medical Dispatch or EMD means the management of requests for emergency medical assistance by utilizing a system of:

Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocol Reference System or EMDPRS means a system approved by the Department that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards and that includes a protocol for emergency medical dispatcher response to calls, including structured caller questioning for patient condition, incident facts, and scene safety, pre-arrival instructions, post-dispatch instructions, selection of appropriate field resources to dispatch (such as first responder, basic life support, and/or advanced life support), and a continuous quality assurance program that measures compliance with the protocol through ongoing random case review of each emergency medical dispatcher.

Enhanced 911 Equipment means 911 call processing equipment located at a PSAP.

Enhanced 911 Service means a service consisting of communication network, database and equipment features provided for subscribers or end users of communication services enabling such subscribers or end users to reach a PSAP by dialing the digits 911, or by other means approved by the department, that directs calls to appropriate PSAPs based on selective routing and provides the capability for automatic number identification and automatic location identification.

Enhanced 911 Service Provider means an entity that provides one or more of the following 911 elements: network, database, or PSAP customer premises equipment.

Enhanced 911 Telecommunicator means an individual who acts in the capacity of a 911 call taker.

Hang Up Call means a call placed to 911 in which the caller disconnects when the call is answered by the enhanced 911 telecommunicator.

Hard of Hearing means a hearing loss resulting, in the majority of circumstances, in an inability to effectively use a telephone without the assistance of sound amplification control or a telephone without the use of a hearing aid and a hearing aid compatible handset.

Limited Secondary PSAP means a PSAP equipped, at a minimum, with automatic number identification and automatic location identification display or printout capability. It receives 911 calls only when they are transferred from the primary PSAP. Data sent to a limited secondary PSAP cannot be re-routed to another location and may not necessarily be transmitted simultaneously with the voice call.

Medical Control means the clinical oversight by a qualified physician of all components of the emergency medical dispatch system, including, without limitation, treatment protocols, medical direction, training of personnel, quality assurance and continuous quality improvement.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA Standards means the EMD curriculum of The United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Office of Emergency Medical Services or OEMS means the Office of Emergency Medical Services within the Department of Public Health.

Post-dispatch Instructions means case-specific advice, warnings, and treatments given by an emergency medical dispatcher whenever possible and appropriate after dispatching field responders in accordance with a Department-approved EMDPRS.

Pre-arrival Instructions means scripted medical instructions given whenever possible and appropriate to provide necessary assistance and control of the situation, including without limitation, potential life-saving instructions and post-dispatch instructions, prior to arrival of emergency medical services personnel in accordance with a Department-approved EMDPRS.

Primary Public Safety Answering Point or Primary PSAP means a facility equipped with automatic number identification and automatic location identification displays, and is the first point of reception of a 911 call. It serves the municipality in which it is located.

Private Safety Department means an entity, except for a municipality or a public safety department, that provides emergency police, fire, ambulance or medical services.

Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP means a facility assigned the responsibility of receiving 911 calls and, as appropriate, directly dispatching emergency response services or transferring or relaying emergency 911 calls to other public or private safety agencies or other PSAPs.

Public Safety Department means a functional division of a municipality or a state that provides fire fighting, law enforcement, ambulance, medical, or other emergency medical services.

Quality Assurance means a systematic program and services consisting of medical control, medical review, call review, call tracking, deficiency identification, and remediation of emergency medical dispatch personnel, policies, and procedures.

Regional Emergency Communications Center or RECC means a facility operated by or on behalf of two or more municipalities or governmental bodies, or combination thereof, as approved by the department, that enter into an agreement for the establishment and provision of regional dispatch and coordination of emergency services for all such municipalities or governmental bodies, including but not limited to, a regional PSAP that provides enhanced 911 service and police, fire protection, and emergency medical services dispatch, including services provided by a private safety department.

Regional PSAP means a PSAP that is operated by or on behalf of two or more municipalities or governmental bodies, or combination thereof, approved by the department, for the operation of enhanced 911 call taking and call transfer activities. A regional PSAP may also be engaged in, by agreement, the dispatching or control of public safety resources serving some or all of the municipalities or governmental bodies that comprise the regional PSAP, including where services are provided by a private safety department. If the regional PSAP serves all such municipalities or governmental bodies for the operation of enhanced 911 call taking and call transfer activities and dispatch services, including where such dispatch services are provided by a public safety department, it shall be considered a regional emergency communications center for purposes of M.G.L. c. 6A, § 18B. The regional PSAP shall be equipped with automatic number identification and automatic location identification displays, as approved by the department, and is the first point of reception of a 911 call.

Regional Secondary PSAP means a facility operated by or on behalf of three or more municipalities or governmental bodies, or a combination thereof, approved by the department, that enter into an agreement for the establishment and provision of regional dispatch and coordination of either police, fire protection or emergency medical services, or any combination thereof. A regional secondary PSAP is equipped with automatic number identification and automatic location identification displays. It receives 911 calls only when transferred from a primary or regional PSAP or on an alternative routing basis when calls cannot be completed to the primary or regional PSAP.

Ringing PSAP means a PSAP equipped for receipt of voice communications only, and may not operate 24 hours each day. It receives 911 calls only when they are transferred from the primary PSAP.

Secondary PSAP means a PSAP equipped with automatic number identification and automatic location identification displays. It receives 911 calls only when they are transferred from the primary PSAP or on an alternative routing basis when calls cannot be completed to the primary PSAP.

Silent Call means a 911 call received at a PSAP in which no audible voice or tone is received and the caller does not disconnect.

Silent Call Procedure means the enhanced 911 service feature, as prescribed by the Department, that allows an enhanced 911 telecommunicator to respond to silent calls so that a 911 caller who is unable to verbally communicate the emergency over the telephone may receive the appropriate response.

Text Telephone or TTY means a machine that employs graphic communication in the transmission of coded signals through a wire or radio communications system.

Wireless State Police PSAP means a state police facility assigned the responsibility of primarily or entirely receiving wireless 911 calls and, as appropriate, dispatching emergency response services or transferring or relaying emergency 911 calls to other public or private safety departments or other PSAPs.