SECTION 1.  Chapter 111C of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 25, as appearing in the 2018 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.