10-144 C.M.R. ch. 124, § 1 - DEFINITIONS

A. Purpose: This rule requires information that is specific to licensed emergency medical service personnel who are absent from duty during an extreme public health emergency due to an exposure or potential exposure to a notifiable disease or condition, to be reported to the Department for public health purposes, including informing emergency preparedness and strategies to address potential shortage of certain healthcare workers.

B. Definitions. As used in this rule, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings:

1. Ambulance Service means any person, persons or organization, licensed by Maine Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (Maine EMS) to provide routine or emergency transportation for ill or injured persons. Ambulance service includes ground ambulance and air ambulance services.

2. Declared Extreme Public Health Emergency means the event proclaimed by the Governor that is a state of actual or threat of widespread exposure to a highly infectious or toxic agent posing a risk to public health, pursuant to 22 MRS chapter 250 and Title 37-B, chapter 13, subchapter II.

3. Department means the State of Maine, Department of Health and Human Services Maine Center for Disease and Prevention.

4. EMD Center means any entity that holds itself out to be a provider of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) services and that is licensed by Maine EMS.

5. Emergency Medical Treatment means those skills, techniques and judgments, as defined by the Emergency Medical Services' Board, which are directed to maintaining, improving or preventing deterioration of the medical condition of the patient and which are appropriate to be delivered by trained persons at the scene of a patient's illness or injury outside the hospital and during transportation to the hospital.

6. EMS Personnel means any person licensed by Maine EMS who routinely provide emergency medical treatment to the sick or injured, including, but not limited to emergency medical responders, emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics. For the purpose of this rule, EMS personnel also includes those providing medical service transports (i.e. ground ambulance and air ambulance services) to the sick or injured and emergency medical dispatchers.

7. EMS Service Organization means any ambulance service or non-transporting service that is licensed by Maine EMS, including but not limited to ground ambulance services, air ambulance services, and non-transporting services.

8. Extreme Public Health Emergency means the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread exposure to a highly infectious or toxic agent that poses an imminent threat of substantial harm to the population of the State, as defined in 22 MRS §801.

9. Maine Emergency Medical Services or Maine EMS means the Emergency Medical Services' Board, the emergency medical services director, and staff within the Department of Public Safety responsible for providing oversight of matters relating to the care delivered by EMS providers in Maine, pursuant to 32 MRS §§81 - 95, including ensuring the operations of a comprehensive and effective emergency medical services (EMS) system that optimizes patient care.

Notes

10-144 C.M.R. ch. 124, § 1