Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) A regional EMS council may receive EMSOF
funding from the Department for the following purposes:
(1) Providing public education, information,
health promotion and prevention programs regarding EMS, including:
(i) Public education programs, instruction
regarding call-taking and dispatching and how to access EMS systems.
(ii) Public information programs, including
passenger and driver safety and EMS system awareness programs.
(iii) Health promotion programs, including
wellness of EMS workforce and EMS safety programs that promote a culture of
safe practices among EMS providers.
(iv) Prevention programs, including passenger
restraint systems, prudent heart living and general health awareness, and
safety practices to prevent errors in patient care and injuries to EMS
providers.
(2) Purchasing
ambulances, other EMS vehicles, medical equipment and rescue equipment which
enables or enhances the delivery of EMS.
(i)
Ambulances and other EMS vehicles will be considered for funding if the funds
will be used for the initial acquisition of vehicles or parts, or the addition
or replacement of existing vehicles or parts, by an EMS agency or an entity
that qualifies for initial licensure as an EMS agency.
(ii) Medical equipment will be considered for
funding if the funds will be used to purchase medical equipment for EMS
agencies.
(iii) Rescue equipment
will be considered for funding if the funds will be used to purchase rescue
equipment for EMS agencies or rescue services recognized by the Department or
the State Fire Commissioner.
(3) Conducting and ensuring the reasonable
availability of training and testing programs for EMS providers. Priority
consideration with respect to training will be given to training programs
leading to the certification of EMS providers and the continuing education of
EMS providers.
(4) Inspecting and
investigating EMS agencies, educational institutes and medical facilities, and
conducting other inspections and investigations to assist the Department in
carrying out its regulatory responsibilities under the act.
(5) Purchasing communications equipment and
services, including medical command communications equipment, and alerting
equipment for EMS purposes.
(6)
Purchasing equipment for emergency departments, if the equipment is used or
intended to be used in equipment exchange programs with EMS agencies. The
equipment purchased must be of a type used by EMS agencies in the EMS provided
to patients in a prehospital or interhospital setting. It must be the type of
equipment that can be easily or safely removed from the patient upon arrival or
during treatment at a receiving facility.
(7) Maintaining and operating a regional EMS
council. Items eligible for funding include:
(i) Salaries, wages and benefits of
staff.
(ii) Travel.
(iii) Equipment and supplies.
(iv) Leasing office space.
(v) Other costs incidental to the conduct of
the business of a regional EMS council which are found by the Department to be
necessary and appropriate.
(8) Collecting and analyzing data necessary
to evaluate the effectiveness of EMS systems in providing EMS and to administer
quality improvement programs. These costs may include the processing of both
prehospital and hospital data and include:
(i)
Data collection.
(ii) Data
entry.
(iii) Data processing of
information.
(iv) Data analysis and
evaluation.
(v) Data interpretation
and dissemination.
(9)
Facilitating the merger of EMS agencies or assisting an EMS agency to acquire
another EMS agency when the Department determines circumstances exist to the
extent that the transaction and financial assistance are needed to serve the
public interest.
(10) Recruitment
and retention of EMS providers by EMS agencies.
(11) Other costs determined by the Department
to be appropriate and necessary for the implementation of a comprehensive
regional EMS system.
(b)
The Department will set forth additional priorities for funding on a yearly
basis in a notice published in the Pennsylvania
Bulletin.
(c) Funds
appropriated to the Department from the EMSOF will not be made available for
the following:
(1) Acquisition, construction
or rehabilitation of facilities or buildings, except renovation as may be
necessary for the implementation or modification of 911 and EMS communication
systems.
(2) Purchase of hospital
equipment, other than communications equipment for medical command and
receiving facilities, unless the equipment is used or intended to be used in an
equipment exchange program with EMS agencies.
(3) Maintenance of ambulances, other EMS
vehicles and equipment.
(4) Costs
deemed by the Department as inappropriate for carrying out the purposes of the
act.
(5) Costs which are normally
borne by patients, except for extraordinary costs as determined by the
Department.
(d) As
approved by the Department, a regional EMS council may make purchases and other
expenditures of funds on behalf of EMS agencies, recognized rescue services,
accredited educational institutes and medical command facilities for
cost-savings purposes. The Department may distribute funds to these entities to
make these purchases and other expenditures of funds.
(e) The Department, by contract, grant or
notice published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, may require a
regional EMS council or entity to which a regional EMS council distributes
funds to provide matching funds in specified percentages as a condition for
receiving EMSOF funds.
This section cited in 28 Pa. Code §
1021.28 (relating to contracts and
grants with the Advisory Board).
