Pennsylvania Code
Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Part VII - Emergency Medical Services
Subpart A - EMS System
Chapter 1027 - EMS AGENCIES
Subchapter B - EMS AGENCY SERVICES
Section 1027.35 - Advanced life support ambulance service

Universal Citation: 28 PA Code ยง 1027.35

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024

(a) Purpose. An EMS agency that operates an ALS ambulance service employs one or more ALS ambulances staffed by an ambulance crew capable of providing medical assessment, observation, triage, monitoring, treatment and transportation of patients who require EMS above the skill level of an AEMT.

(b) Staffing. The minimum staffing for an ALS ambulance crew when responding to a call to provide EMS to a patient who requires EMS above the skill level of an AEMT is an EMS provider at or above the EMT level, a second EMS provider above the AEMT level and an EMSVO, except that only a two-person ambulance crew is required if the EMSVO is also one of the EMS providers and an EMS provider above the AEMT level is available to attend to the patient during patient transport. Responding ambulance crew members may arrive at the scene separately, but the ambulance shall be fully staffed at or above the minimum staffing level before transporting a patient.

(c) Providing EMS when dispatched with a lower level EMS vehicle crew. If an ALS ambulance and a lower level EMS vehicle crew are dispatched to provide EMS for a patient, the following shall apply:

(1) Upon arrival of an EMS provider from the ALS ambulance crew who is a higher level EMS provider than the highest level EMS provider of the lower level EMS vehicle crew who is present, that EMS provider shall assume primary responsibility for the patient.

(2) If the patient is assessed by the ALS ambulance crew to require EMS above the skill level at which the lower level EMS vehicle crew is operating, and requires transport to a receiving facility, the EMS provider who is responsible for the overall management of the EMS provided to the patient shall decide, consistent with the Statewide EMS protocols, who will transport the patient. An appropriately certified member of the ALS ambulance crew shall attend to the patient during the transport. If the lower level EMS vehicle is used to transport the patient, that EMS provider shall use the equipment and supplies on the lower level EMS vehicle, supplemented with the additional equipment and supplies, including medications, from the ALS ambulance.

(3) If at the scene or during patient transport by the lower level EMS vehicle crew, the EMS provider of the ALS ambulance crew who has assumed primary responsibility for the patient determines that the lower level EMS vehicle crew is operating at the skill level needed to attend to the patient's EMS needs, consistent with the Statewide EMS protocols, that EMS provider may relinquish responsibility for the patient to the lower level EMS vehicle crew.

(d) Responding to a call for a patient who requires EMS at the AEMT level. When an ALS ambulance is employed to respond to a call to provide EMS to a patient who requires EMS at the skill level of an AEMT, the staffing and responsibilities of the ambulance crew are the same as set forth in § 1027.34 (relating to intermediate advanced life support ambulance service).

(e) Responding to a call for a patient who requires EMS below the AEMT level. When an ALS ambulance is employed to respond to a call to provide EMS to a patient who requires EMS below the skill level of an AEMT, the staffing and the responsibilities of the ambulance crew are the same as set forth in § 1027.33 (relating to basic life support ambulance service).

(f) Application. For purposes of this section, the term "lower level EMS vehicle crew" means the EMS vehicle crew of a BLS ambulance, BLS squad vehicle, intermediate ALS ambulance or intermediate ALS squad vehicle.

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 1027.42 (relating to water ambulance service).

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Pennsylvania may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.