Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 45, November 9, 2024
Section 1027.37 - Intermediate advanced life support squad service(a)Purpose. An intermediate ALS squad vehicle transports EMS providers at the AEMT level, along with equipment and supplies, to rendezvous with an ambulance crew or to respond prior to the arrival of an ambulance, to provide medical assessment, monitoring, treatment and observation of a patient who requires advanced EMS. An intermediate ALS squad vehicle may not transport patients.(b)Staffing. The minimum staffing for an intermediate ALS squad vehicle crew when responding to a call to provide EMS is an EMS provider at or above the AEMT level and an EMSVO, except that only one person is required if the EMSVO is also the EMS provider.(c)Providing EMS when dispatched with a lower level ambulance crew. If an intermediate ALS squad vehicle and a lower level ambulance crew are dispatched to provide EMS for a patient, the following shall apply: (1) If the patient is assessed by the intermediate ALS squad vehicle crew to require EMS above the skill level at which the lower level ambulance crew is operating, and requires transport to a receiving facility, an appropriately certified member of the intermediate squad vehicle shall attend to the patient during the transport by the lower level ambulance crew. That EMS provider shall use the equipment and supplies on the lower level ambulance, supplemented with the additional equipment and supplies, including medications, from the intermediate ALS squad vehicle.(2) If at the scene or during patient transport by the lower level ambulance crew, the intermediate ALS squad vehicle crew determines that the lower level ambulance crew is operating at the skill level needed to attend to the patient's needs, consistent with Statewide EMS protocols, the EMS provider of the intermediate ALS squad vehicle who is responsible for the overall management of the EMS provided to the patient may relinquish responsibility for the patient to the lower level ambulance crew.(d)Providing EMS when dispatched with a higher level ambulance crew. If an intermediate ALS squad vehicle and a higher level ambulance crew are dispatched to provide EMS for a patient, the following shall apply:(1) Intermediate ALS squad vehicle crew members shall begin providing EMS to the patient at their skill levels until higher level EMS is afforded by the arrival of a higher level EMS provider.(2) Upon the arrival of a higher level ambulance crew, the intermediate ALS squad vehicle shall release the patient to be transported by the higher level ambulance crew, consistent with Statewide EMS protocols, as directed by the EMS provider exercising primary responsibility for the patient.(e)Application. For purposes of this section, the term "lower level ambulance crew" means the ambulance crew of a BLS ambulance. The term "higher level ambulance crew" means the ambulance crew of an ALS ambulance or air ambulance.The provisions of this §1027.37 adopted October 11, 2013, effective 4/10/2014, 43 Pa.B. 6093.