S.C. Code Regs. § § 61-7.500.508

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 61-7.500.508 - Volunteer EMS Agencies

A. A Volunteer EMS Agency shall have an EMT-basic, AEMT, or Paramedic attending to the Patient at the scene and in the Ambulance while transporting the Patient to the hospital.

B. Volunteer Emergency Medical Responder Agencies without onsite EMT-basics, AEMTs, or Paramedics shall be en route with at least one (1) EMT to all emergent calls within ten (10) minutes from the time the call is dispatched.

C. If the Volunteer EMS Agency service has a written response policy in place in which an EMT is allowed to respond directly to the scene from home or work, the EMS Agency may respond to the scene of the Emergency even if an EMT is not on board the Ambulance. The EMS Agency shall make the response policy available for inspection by the Department upon request.

D. If the Volunteer EMS Agency's EMT responding directly to the scene is delayed and another EMS Agency is immediately available with the required EMS Personnel, the Patient shall be transported by that Agency. If no other service is immediately available, the volunteer EMS Agency shall not transport a Patient without at least one (1) EMT on board.

E. If only one (1) EMT is available to staff the Ambulance crew, the Volunteer EMS Agency shall ensure that the EMT is the Patient care provider and/or supervises the Patient care being provided. The volunteer EMS Agency shall ensure a sole EMT is not the Driver of the Ambulance when a Patient is being transported.

F. The Volunteer EMS Agency shall preplan for the lack of staffing by written mutual aid agreements with neighboring agencies and by alerting the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) as early as possible when it is known that EMT level staffing is not available. The Volunteer EMS Agency shall ensure sufficient staffing through preplanning, mutual aid agreements, and continual recruitment programs.

G. The Volunteer EMS Agency shall ensure in all cases where the level of care is either EMT-basic, AEMT, or Paramedic, the transporting unit is fully equipped to perform at that level of care.

S.C. Code Regs. § 61-7.500.508

Added by State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.