(a) (1) The Department of Education shall establish and maintain an integrated basic Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education program within the curriculum administered by qualified instructors and made available to every public high school student in the Virgin Islands. The Department of Education in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Department of Health-EMS State Office and the Board of Career and Technical Education shall develop the curriculum for the Emergency Medical Services Program and shall operate singularly and collectively as the “Program Administrators”. The program must utilize a network of local stakeholders across each district. However, the Board of Career and Technical Education is the sole body with authority to approve or disapprove all programs and curricula for the EMS education program. The United States National EMS Education Standards and framework must be used as a resource to assist the territory in carrying out coordination of the Emergency Medical Services Programs.(2) The Program Administrators shall seek the assistance of other government agencies and private organizations that are involved in the area of EMS education for implementation of EMS education curricula that are aligned with the academic content standards of the Department of Education.(3) The Program Administrators shall arrange for at least one workshop per year for each school district to provide training to instructors in the following areas:(A) The use of EMS education to supplement and enhance the instructor’s existing curriculum;(B) The development of EMS curriculum activities applicable to high school students;(C) The proper conduct of EMS curriculum activities; and(D) The use visual aids in the classroom.
(1) The Department of Education shall establish and maintain an integrated basic Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education program within the curriculum administered by qualified instructors and made available to every public high school student in the Virgin Islands. The Department of Education in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Department of Health-EMS State Office and the Board of Career and Technical Education shall develop the curriculum for the Emergency Medical Services Program and shall operate singularly and collectively as the “Program Administrators”. The program must utilize a network of local stakeholders across each district. However, the Board of Career and Technical Education is the sole body with authority to approve or disapprove all programs and curricula for the EMS education program. The United States National EMS Education Standards and framework must be used as a resource to assist the territory in carrying out coordination of the Emergency Medical Services Programs.
(2) The Program Administrators shall seek the assistance of other government agencies and private organizations that are involved in the area of EMS education for implementation of EMS education curricula that are aligned with the academic content standards of the Department of Education.
(3) The Program Administrators shall arrange for at least one workshop per year for each school district to provide training to instructors in the following areas:(A) The use of EMS education to supplement and enhance the instructor’s existing curriculum;(B) The development of EMS curriculum activities applicable to high school students;(C) The proper conduct of EMS curriculum activities; and(D) The use visual aids in the classroom.
(A) The use of EMS education to supplement and enhance the instructor’s existing curriculum;
(B) The development of EMS curriculum activities applicable to high school students;
(C) The proper conduct of EMS curriculum activities; and
(D) The use visual aids in the classroom.
(b) The goal of the program is to ensure that students are prepared for the following:(1) National EMS Core Content.(2) National EMS Scope and Sequence of Practice.(3) National EMS Education Standards.(4) National EMS Certification.(5) National EMS Program Accreditation.
(1) National EMS Core Content.
(2) National EMS Scope and Sequence of Practice.
(3) National EMS Education Standards.
(4) National EMS Certification.
(5) National EMS Program Accreditation.
(c) The Emergency Medical Program must include training in the following career paths:(1) Emergency Medical Responder (EMR); and(2) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
(1) Emergency Medical Responder (EMR); and
(2) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
(d) Any proposed curriculum must include the four components required by the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards:(1) Competency the minimum competency required for entry-level personnel;(2) Knowledge - the knowledge that entry-level personnel would need to master in order to achieve competency;(3) Clinical Behaviors, Judgments - the clinical behaviors and judgments essential for entry-level EMS personnel at each licensure level; and(4) Educational Infrastructure - the support standards necessary for conducting EMS training programs at each licensure level.
(1) Competency the minimum competency required for entry-level personnel;
(2) Knowledge - the knowledge that entry-level personnel would need to master in order to achieve competency;
(3) Clinical Behaviors, Judgments - the clinical behaviors and judgments essential for entry-level EMS personnel at each licensure level; and
(4) Educational Infrastructure - the support standards necessary for conducting EMS training programs at each licensure level.
(e) The curriculum must include, without limitation:(1) Principles of Pharmacology:(A) Emergency Medications(B) Medication Administration(2) Airway Management, Respirations and Artificial Ventilation:(A) Respiration(B) Artificial Ventilation(3) Assessment:(A) Scene Size-Up(B) Primary Assessment(C) History Taking(D) Secondary Assessment(E) Monitoring Devices(F) Reassessment(4) Medicine Overview:(A) Neurology(B) Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Disorders(C) Immunology(D) Infectious Diseases(E) Endocrine Disorders(F) Psychiatric(G) Cardiovascular(H) Toxicology(I) Respiratory(J) Hematology(K) Genitourinary/Rena(L) Gynecology(M) Non-Traumatic Musculoskeletal Disorders(N) Diseases of the Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat(5) Shock and Resuscitation(6) Trauma Overview:(A) Bleeding(B) Chest Trauma(C) Abdominal and Genitourinary Trauma(D) Orthopedic Trauma(E) Soft Tissue Trauma(F) Head, Facial, Neck, and Spine Trauma(G) Environmental Emergencies(H) Multisystem Trauma(7) Special Patient Populations:(A) Obstetrics(B) Neonatal Care(C) Pediatrics(D) Geriatrics(E) Patients with Special Challenges(8) EMS Operations:(A) Principles of Safely Operating a Ground Ambulance(B) Incident Management(C) Multiple Casualty Incidents(D) Air Medical(E) Vehicle Extrication(F) Hazardous Materials(G) Terrorism and Disaster(9) Clinical Behavior Judgment:(A) Assessment(B) Therapeutic Communication and Cultural Competency(C) Psychomotor Skills(D) Professionalism(E) Decision-Making(F) Record Keeping(G) Patient Complaints(H) Scene Leadership(I) Scene Safety
(1) Principles of Pharmacology:(A) Emergency Medications(B) Medication Administration
(A) Emergency Medications
(B) Medication Administration
(2) Airway Management, Respirations and Artificial Ventilation:(A) Respiration(B) Artificial Ventilation
(A) Respiration
(B) Artificial Ventilation
(3) Assessment:(A) Scene Size-Up(B) Primary Assessment(C) History Taking(D) Secondary Assessment(E) Monitoring Devices(F) Reassessment
(A) Scene Size-Up
(B) Primary Assessment
(C) History Taking
(D) Secondary Assessment
(E) Monitoring Devices
(F) Reassessment
(4) Medicine Overview:(A) Neurology(B) Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Disorders(C) Immunology(D) Infectious Diseases(E) Endocrine Disorders(F) Psychiatric(G) Cardiovascular(H) Toxicology(I) Respiratory(J) Hematology(K) Genitourinary/Rena(L) Gynecology(M) Non-Traumatic Musculoskeletal Disorders(N) Diseases of the Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
(A) Neurology
(B) Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Disorders
(C) Immunology
(D) Infectious Diseases
(E) Endocrine Disorders
(F) Psychiatric
(G) Cardiovascular
(H) Toxicology
(I) Respiratory
(J) Hematology
(K) Genitourinary/Rena
(L) Gynecology
(M) Non-Traumatic Musculoskeletal Disorders
(N) Diseases of the Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
(5) Shock and Resuscitation
(6) Trauma Overview:(A) Bleeding(B) Chest Trauma(C) Abdominal and Genitourinary Trauma(D) Orthopedic Trauma(E) Soft Tissue Trauma(F) Head, Facial, Neck, and Spine Trauma(G) Environmental Emergencies(H) Multisystem Trauma
(A) Bleeding
(B) Chest Trauma
(C) Abdominal and Genitourinary Trauma
(D) Orthopedic Trauma
(E) Soft Tissue Trauma
(F) Head, Facial, Neck, and Spine Trauma
(G) Environmental Emergencies
(H) Multisystem Trauma
(7) Special Patient Populations:(A) Obstetrics(B) Neonatal Care(C) Pediatrics(D) Geriatrics(E) Patients with Special Challenges
(A) Obstetrics
(B) Neonatal Care
(C) Pediatrics
(D) Geriatrics
(E) Patients with Special Challenges
(8) EMS Operations:(A) Principles of Safely Operating a Ground Ambulance(B) Incident Management(C) Multiple Casualty Incidents(D) Air Medical(E) Vehicle Extrication(F) Hazardous Materials(G) Terrorism and Disaster
(A) Principles of Safely Operating a Ground Ambulance
(B) Incident Management
(C) Multiple Casualty Incidents
(D) Air Medical
(E) Vehicle Extrication
(F) Hazardous Materials
(G) Terrorism and Disaster
(9) Clinical Behavior Judgment:(A) Assessment(B) Therapeutic Communication and Cultural Competency(C) Psychomotor Skills(D) Professionalism(E) Decision-Making(F) Record Keeping(G) Patient Complaints(H) Scene Leadership(I) Scene Safety
(A) Assessment
(B) Therapeutic Communication and Cultural Competency
(C) Psychomotor Skills
(D) Professionalism
(E) Decision-Making
(F) Record Keeping
(G) Patient Complaints
(H) Scene Leadership
(I) Scene Safety
(f) The Educational Infrastructure developed by the Department of Education and the Board of Career and Technical Education in conjunction with the Department of Health must include, without limitation:(1) Educational Facilities(2) Student Space(3) Instructional Resources(4) Instructor Reparation Resources(5) Storage Space(6) Sponsorship(7) Programmatic Approval(8) Faculty(9) Medical Director Oversight(10) Hospital/Clinical Experience(11) Field Experience(12) Course Length(13) Course Design(14) Student Assessment(15) Program Evaluation
(1) Educational Facilities
(2) Student Space
(3) Instructional Resources
(4) Instructor Reparation Resources
(5) Storage Space
(6) Sponsorship
(7) Programmatic Approval
(8) Faculty
(9) Medical Director Oversight
(10) Hospital/Clinical Experience
(11) Field Experience
(12) Course Length
(13) Course Design
(14) Student Assessment
(15) Program Evaluation
(g) The Program Administrators shall develop, research, and coordinate the best available practices regarding appropriate curriculum for public high school EMS programs in consultation with education and emergency medical services experts.
(h) The Program Administrators shall prepare a budget for the Emergency Medical Services Program pursuant to title 2, section 23 of the Virgin Islands Code.