District of Columbia Administrative Code

522 EMS PROVIDERS: INACTIVE STATUS 522.1 Inactive certification may be granted to EMS providers certified as an Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate, and Paramedic who are not a…

523 EMS PROVIDERS: PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION 523.1 The Director may issue a provisional certification to an applicant for certification as an EMS provider emergency medical services personnel who does not fully meet the requirements specified in this chapter if the Director finds…

524 LIMITED RECIPROCITY CERTIFICATIONS 524.1 The Director may grant limited reciprocity certifications of up to ninety (90) days to applicants for certification as Emergency Medical Services Agencies, emergency medical response vehicles, or emergency medical service providers if …

525 EMS PROVIDERS: CERTIFICATION CARDS 525.1 An EMS provider shall carry his or her current certification card on his or her person any time he or she is working as a care provider. 525.2 Upon request of a DOH inspector, the District EMS Officer or other designated official, an E…

526 EMS PROVIDERS: SCOPE OF PRACTICE 526.1 The Director shall develop a scope of practice policy in accordance with the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s current national standard guidelines. 526.2 The medical directors of each …

527 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION STANDARDS 527.1 No person shall provide EMS certification education, continuing education, or refresher education in the District without being certified as an EMS educational institution pursuant to this chapter. 527.2 Each E…

528 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: MEDICAL DIRECTOR 528.1 Each EMS educational institution offering certification courses shall have a medical director who: (a) Is a physician licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia; Has current working knowledge and experience in em…

529 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: PROGRAM DIRECTOR 529.1 Each EMS educational institution shall have a program director who: Has at least two (2) years of experience instructing and evaluating EMS students; Has experience with administration of educational programs; Has an instructor…

530 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: PROGRAM INTERNSHIPS 530.1 Each EMS education program, with the exception of Emergency Medical Responder education programs, provided by an EMS educational institution shall provide students with access to field internships with appropriate medical ov…

531 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: EVALUATIONS 531.1 Each educational institution shall have a written policy and procedure for evaluation of each of its education programs. 531.2 Each program shall conduct a self-evaluation at least annually and shall provide written evidence that th…

532 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: ANNUAL REPORTS 532.1 Each education program shall submit an annual report to the Director, due no earlier than January 1 and not later than March 1 of each year, in an approved format which shall: (a) Update program information; (b) Identify any majo…

533 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: CERTIFICATION RENEWAL 533.1 An educational institution shall apply for renewal of its certification at least six (6) months before the expiration of its current certification. 533.2 If the Director determines that the applicant meets the requirements…

534 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATIONS 534.1 The Director may grant an educational institution a provisional certification for one (1) year if, after review of the application and site visit, he or she has determined that: (a) Standards for certification are not…

535 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATION 535.1 The Director may revoke program approval if an educational institution is not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Notification of revocation shall: State the reasons for revocation; and Advise the educ…

536 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: DENIAL OF CERTIFICATION 536.1 The Director may deny program approval if an educational institution is not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Notification of denial shall: State the reasons for denial; and Advise the education institut…

537 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS 537.1 Each educational institution shall maintain the following records for every instructor: Copies of documents verifying the instructor’s past educational experience, including: (1) Education; (2) Publications; and (3) Previou…

538 EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS 538.1 Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) courses shall be taught by: (a) District-certified EMR instructors; (b) EMR instructor trainees under the supervision of a District-certified EMR instructor; or (c) EMT or Advanced Emerge…

539 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS 539.1 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses shall be taught by: (a) District-certified EMT instructors; (b) EMT instructor trainees under the supervision of a District-certified EMT instructor; or (c) District-certified A…

540 ADVANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS 540.1 Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) courses, Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate (EMT-I) courses, and Paramedic courses shall be taught by: (a) District-certified Advanced Emergency Medical Services…

541 CONTINUING EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR STANDARDS 541.1 Continuing Education (CE) courses shall be taught by: (a) District-certified EMR, EMT, or AEMS instructors consistent with the level of education being taught; (b) District-certified CE instructors; (c) CE instructor trainees un…

542 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION CURRICULUM STANDARDS 542.1 The Director shall approve all EMS course curricula that are intended to be used for certification, continuing education, and refresher courses that are taught in the District of Columbia. 542.2 Cour…

543 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION COURSE STANDARDS 543.1 No person shall offer an EMS certification, refresher, or continuing education course in the District unless: The person is certified by the District as an EMS educational institution; or The person is c…

544 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION CERTIFICATION COURSE STANDARDS 544.1 A District certified EMS educational institution that desires to offer an EMS certification course in the District shall: (a) Meet the current national standards and NREMT standards for the…

545 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION REFRESHER COURSE STANDARDS 545.1 The Director shall approve all EMS refresher courses that are intended for renewal of NREMT certification and are taught in the District of Columbia prior to the course being taught. 545.2 A re…

546 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE STANDARDS 546.1 The Director shall approve all continuing education (CE) courses that are intended for renewal of NREMT certification prior to the course being offered. CE courses that are taught in the District of Columbi…

547 CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION 547.1 An educational program shall issue to each successful participant a certificate or proof of successful completion of a course no later than thirty (30) calendar days after completion of the course. 547.2 A certification course completion…

548 COURSE RECORDS 548.1 An education program shall maintain course records for at least five (5) years following course completion. The records shall be maintained in a manner to prevent loss, destruction, or unauthorized use and shall contain the following: A complete outline f…

549 TRANSPORTATION OF PATIENTS 549.1 Each District-certified emergency medical response vehicle that transports patients shall meet the following minimum staffing requirement: (a) A Basic Life Support Ambulance shall have two (2) District-certified Emergency Medical Technicians; …

550 EMERGENCY 9-1-1 TRANSPORTATION OF PATIENTS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 550.1 An emergency patient who is transported by ambulance, where the point of origin is within the District, shall only be transported by a District-certified Emergency Medical Services Agency ambulance e…

551 INTER-FACILITY TRANSPORTATION OF PATIENTS WHERE THE POINT OF ORIGIN IS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 551.1 A patient who is transported by ambulance between facilities, where the point of origin is within the District of Columbia, shall only be transported by a certified Distri…

552 INTER-FACILITY TRANSPORTATION OF PATIENTS INTO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHERE THE POINT OF ORIGIN IS OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 552.1 A patient who is transported by ambulance into the District of Columbia shall only be transported by an EMS ambulance and crew that i…

553 EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH 553.1 The Director may develop the District of Columbia Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocol Guidelines for Emergency Medical Dispatch Providers (Pre-Hospital EMD Guidelines). 553.2 The Director may appoint an Emergency Medical Dispatch …

554 PRE-HOSPITAL MEDICAL PROTOCOLS 554.1 The Director may develop the District of Columbia Pre-Hospital Medical Protocol Guidelines for Emergency Medical Services Providers. 554.2 The Director may appoint a protocol review committee to assist in the development, review, and recom…

555 MEDICAL CONTROL BASE STATIONS 555.1 The Director may develop the District of Columbia Pre-Hospital Medical Control Base Station Operational Guidelines for Medical Control Base Station Providers (Pre-Hospital Medical Control Guidelines). 555.2 The Director may appoint a medica…

556 CLINICAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT 556.1 Each Emergency Medical Services Agency shall designate a quality improvement officer who is certified or licensed at or above the certification level of the Emergency Medical Services Agency. 556.2 The medical director may act …

557 CLINICAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT REPORTS 557.1 Each Emergency Medical Services Agency shall file an annual report, due no earlier than January 1 and not later than March 1 of each year, which shall state the number EMS incidents to which the Emergency Medical Servic…

558 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AGENCY DATA COLLECTION STANDARDS 558.1 Emergency Medical Services Agency incident and patient care data collected by means of computer systems within the District of Columbia shall conform to the National EMS Information System requirements (NEMSIS)…

559 TRAUMA AND SPECIALTY CENTERS 559.1 The Director shall designate Trauma Centers in the District of Columbia. 559.2 Criteria for the designation of Level I and Level II Trauma Centers shall be consistent with the guidelines of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Traum…

560 MASS CASUALTY INCIDENTS 560.1 Each Emergency Medical Services Agency is required to develop a plan to mitigate a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI). 560.2 Each MCI plan shall comply with the National Incident Management System requirements and the District MCI plan. 560.3 Each MCI …

561 SPECIAL EVENT MEDICAL AID STATIONS 561.1 An Emergency Medical Services Agency that provides services at a special event medical aid station shall be certified by the Director to provide Special Event EMS services 561.2 The Agency shall utilize a Patient Care Report (PCR), on …

562 SPECIAL STUDIES AND PILOT PROJECTS 562.1 The Department may allow Emergency Medical Services Agencies to undertake studies of the EMS system or pilot projects in the interest of improving patient care services. 562.2 All requests to undertake a special study or pilot project …

563 ENFORCEMENT OF VIOLATIONS 563.1 Any person who violates or participates in the violation of a provision of this chapter shall be subject to civil and criminal penalties in accordance with the Emergency Medical Services Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-357; D…

564 NOTICE AND HEARING 564.1 A holder of a certificate shall be given notice of, and an opportunity for, a hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings if the effect of the action would be one (1) of the following: (a) To revoke a certificate; (b) To suspend a certificate…

565 FEES 565.1 The Director shall collect the following fees from applicants for certification as basic life support providers (Emergency Medical Responders and Emergency Medical Technicians) and for provisional and replacement cards: Application fee (initial and renewal) - $15; …

566 APPLICABILITY OF FEES AND PENALTIES TO DISTRICT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 566.1 No District government agency shall be required to pay personnel or organizational fees established by this chapter. 566.2 District government agencies shall be liable for penalties that may be imposed …

567 EMERGENCY AMBULANCE FEES AND BILLING 567.1 The following fees are hereby established for emergency ambulance life support service, and for the transportation of a person in a District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMSD) emergency ambulance vehic…