No person shall hold himself or herself out as being an emergency medical services provider in the District without holding a valid certification issued pursuant to this chapter.
An applicant for certification as an emergency medical services provider shall be at least eighteen (18) years old.
An applicant for certification as an emergency medical service provider shall be sponsored by a District certified EMS agency.
The applicant shall have the endorsement of the sponsoring agency's medical director.
Each applicant for certification as an emergency medical service provider must pass the NREMT written and practical examination following successful completion of a course of study no less stringent than the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation for the certification level desired.
The applicant shall affirm that he or she possesses the requisite physical and mental health and is free from addiction to narcotics or alcoholic beverages or from physical or mental impairments or diseases that would impair the applicant's ability to provide emergency care for persons transported by ambulance.
The applicant shall have no physical or mental impairment that would render him or her unable to perform all practical skills required for that level of training and certification. Physical and mental performance skills include the ability of the individual to function as an EMS provider under dangerous conditions, including exposure to communicable disease, hazardous chemicals, or other risk of serious injury.
An applicant for certification or renewal of certification as an emergency medical services provider shall undergo a criminal background check, including the fingerprinting of the applicant, in accordance with Federal Bureau of Investigation policies and procedures and in a Federal Bureau of Investigation environment.
The criminal background check shall be performed no more than six (6) months prior to the submission of the application.
The Director shall deny an application for certification by an individual convicted of any of the following crimes:
A sponsoring EMS agency shall not employ an applicant as an EMS provider who has been convicted of, has pleaded nolo contendere to, is on probation before judgment or placement on a stet docket because of, or has been found not guilty by reason of insanity for any item listed in § 515.10 of this chapter or has been found to have engaged in prohibited conduct as listed in § 563.17.
If the Director denies an application because the Director determined that the applicant presents a present danger to children or youth, the sponsoring EMS agency shall notify the applicant of the determination and inform the applicant in writing that he or she may appeal the denial to the Office of Administrative Hearings within thirty (30) days after the determination.
The emergency medical service provider certificate shall be valid for no greater than two (2) years, expiring on June 30.
The Emergency Medical Responder provider certificate shall be valid for no greater than two (2) years, expiring on December 31.
An emergency medical services provider certificate shall not be assigned or transferred.
An EMS provider in the District of Columbia shall maintain a valid NREMT certification card at the same or greater provider level as his or her DC certification.
An EMS provider in the District of Columbia shall maintain a valid American Heart Association Health Care Provider or equivalent CPR card during his or her certification period.
An Advanced Life Support Provider shall maintain a valid American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) card during his or her certification period.
SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 16569 (December 6, 2013).
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-515