SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1637        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1416

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Adam G. Hinds

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to volunteer ambulance service.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Adam G. Hinds

Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden

 

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

 

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

2/1/2019

Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

2/1/2019

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

12/17/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1637        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1416

By Mr. Hinds, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1416) of Adam G. Hinds, Natalie M. Blais, Donald F. Humason, Jr. and Smitty Pignatelli for legislation relative to volunteer ambulance service.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2648 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to volunteer ambulance service.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 111C of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 25, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 25. (a) When a class I, II or V ambulance transports a patient receiving care at the paramedic level of advanced life support, the ambulance shall be staffed in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department; provided, however, that there shall be not less than 2 emergency medical technicians, at least 1 of whom shall be certified at the EMT-Paramedic level.

(b) When a class I, II or V ambulance transports a patient receiving care at the non-paramedic level of basic life support, the ambulance shall be staffed in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department; provided, however, that there shall be not less than 2 emergency medical technicians.

(c)(1) For the purposes of this subsection, the following words shall have the following meanings:

“First responder”, a police officer, a firefighter or an emergency reserve of a volunteer fire department or fire protection district who has been authorized and deemed qualified to staff an ambulance by the rural volunteer ambulance service’s affiliate hospital medical director  pursuant to the rural volunteer ambulance service’s affiliation agreement and the department’s regulations; provided, however, that “first responder” shall not include a police officer, firefighter or person engaged in police and fire work whose duties are primarily clerical or administrative.

“Rural volunteer ambulance service”, a not-for-profit primary ambulance service staffed by volunteers operating in a service zone with a population density of less than 500 residents per square mile as designated in a department-approved service zone plan.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (b), when a class I, II or V ambulance operated by a rural volunteer ambulance service transports a patient receiving care at the nonparamedic level of basic life support, the ambulance may be staffed in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department; provided, however, that there shall be at least 1 emergency medical technician and 1 first responder.