Paramedic and Other Emergency Medical Service Systems
CHAPTER 98. PARAMEDIC SERVICES
§ 9801. Purpose.
(a) It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a statewide paramedic program under the direction of the Office of Emergency
Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services.
(b) The paramedic program includes a coordinated advanced life support system, under qualified medical supervision, which
has the responsibility for providing a rapid response capability in the delivery of emergency medical services to individuals
who become unexpectedly ill or incapacitated or who are otherwise placed in a position where highly skilled medical assistance
must be rendered to sustain or maintain such individual prior to institutional health care.
(c) The paramedic services program shall be utilized for medical emergencies, either at the scene or while the patient is
in transit to a health facility.
(d) It is the further purpose of this chapter to provide a program which shall have a direct impact on the morbidity and mortality
rates of this State and which, over a period of time, will also reduce health care costs to each emergency patient.
(e) It is the further purpose of this chapter to establish a framework for the creation of an effective and efficient means
for the provision of advanced life support services to the citizens of the State regardless of their economic status, who
require such services without prior inquiry as to the patient's ability to pay.
(f) This chapter is intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this State by providing for
the creation of a statewide advanced life support services system, in conjunction with the efforts of all providers of emergency
medical services in this State, with uniform standards for all such providers of advanced life support services.
(g) It is the further purpose of this chapter to insure that emergency patients requiring advanced life support services are
transported from the scene of a medical emergency to the nearest emergency medical institution or the institution of their
choice, within reason, that possesses the equipment and staff resources to immediately attend to the particular needs of the
patient. This statement is tempered by the understanding that, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to bypass the
closest medical facility if specialized medical care is required. It shall also be understood that the use of paramedics
to assist in the transfer of patients to facilities and programs which offer such follow-up care and rehabilitation as is
necessary to effect the maximum recovery of the patient, shall be permitted when deemed medically necessary.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 7.;
§ 9802. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section,
except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) "Administrator" shall mean the program chief of the paramedic services responsible for advanced life support and the administration
of the Delaware Paramedic Services Act;
(2) "Advanced life support" (ALS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(3) "Basic life support" (BLS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(4) "Board" shall mean the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(5) "Certification" means original certification as an EMT-P by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(6) "County" or "counties" shall refer singularly or collectively to New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties of the State;
(7) "County paramedic service" shall mean the paramedic service operated pursuant to this chapter by a county with its own
employees or under contract with another governmental entity;
(8) "Criminal history" means a person's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification and the person's
entire federal criminal history record maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(9) "Decertification" means the cancellation or revocation of the certificate issued by Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
to an EMT-P.
(10) "Department" shall mean the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services;
(11) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider" shall mean individual providers certified by the Delaware State Fire Prevention
Commission or the Office of EMS, or emergency medical dispatchers certified by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.
(12) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider agency" shall mean a provider agency certified by the Delaware State Fire
Prevention Commission or the Office of EMS, or an emergency medical dispatch center under contract with the Department of
Safety and Homeland Security.
(13) "Emergency medical unit" shall mean an ambulance, rescue vehicle or any other specialized vehicle staffed by EMS providers
and other certified or licensed medical care providers, and utilized solely for providing mobile pre-hospital care and other
emergency medical treatment;
(14) "Medical command facility" shall mean the distinct unit within a hospital which meets the operational, staffing and equipment
requirements established by the Division of Public Health for providing medical control to the EMS providers. Any hospital
that operates an emergency medical facility and desires to be designated as a medical command facility shall maintain and
staff such facility on its premises and at its own expense with the exception of base station communication devices which
shall be an authorized shared expense pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;
(15) "Medical control" shall mean an order or directive given to an EMS provider by an authorized medical control physician.
These orders or directives shall normally be provided from a specifically authorized and designated medical command facility
with such medical supervision supplying professional support to the EMS provider through radio or telephonic communication
for on-scene and in-transit basic and advanced life support services;
(16) "Medical control physician" shall mean any physician certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American
Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, or their successors, or a physician certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS),
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or other courses approved by the Office of
Emergency Medical Services who is credentialed by the hospital within which a medical command facility is located and who
is authorized by the medical command facility to give medical control commands via radio or other telecommunication devices
to an EMS provider. When a medical control physician establishes contact with an EMS provider, the EMS provider shall, solely
for the purpose of compliance with the Medical Licensure and Discipline Act, be considered to be operating under the license
of said medical control physician;
(17) "Office" shall mean the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health
and Social Services;
(18) "Paramedic" shall be synonymous with "emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P)," as the same is defined in Chapter
97 of this title;
(19) "Paramedic staff hour" shall mean 1 full hour of a paramedic on duty.
(20) "Pre-hospital care" shall mean any emergency medical service, including advanced life support, rendered by an emergency
medical unit before and during transportation to a hospital or other facility, and upon arrival at the facility until such
care is assumed by the facility's staff;
(21) "Service and/or training reciprocity agreements" shall mean written agreements negotiated between 2 counties or between
a county and an adjoining state or a governmental entity of an adjoining state and approved pursuant to the provisions of
this chapter which provide for the scheduled delivery of paramedic services by paramedics to citizens of this State or a neighboring
state by personnel certified to render such services by this State or a neighboring state, or such similar agreements as are
required by and between the counties of this State, in order to effectively and efficiently deliver paramedic services. Such
agreements may also include provisions that provide for the temporary rotation of paramedics and/or equipment between the
counties of this State in order to provide such personnel with proper experience and training opportunities, address seasonal
demands, or adequately respond to a disaster or severe emergency incident. All such agreements shall include any financial
terms, or other considerations included as part of the agreement;
(22) "State EMS Medical Director" shall mean a physician who is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine
and/or by the Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine and who shall be the chief physician for the statewide emergency medical
system and under whose license all EMS providers shall operate for the purpose of delivering the standing orders of the statewide
standard treatment protocol;
(23) "Statewide ALS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of paramedics. The treatment protocol for advanced life support must
be approved and signed by the State EMS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department of
Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol shall be prepared by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. In
preparing and, from time to time, amending the statewide ALS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult with the State EMS
Medical Director and the ALS Standards Committee of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(24) "Statewide BLS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of basic life support providers. The treatment protocol shall be prepared
by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. The treatment protocol for basic life support must be approved and signed
by the State EMS Medical Director, the BLS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department
of Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol for basic life support shall be adopted and enacted by the State Fire
Prevention Commission. In preparing and, from time to time, amending statewide BLS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult
with the EMS Medical Director, the ALS Standards Commission and the State Fire Prevention Commission. The Statewide BLS treatment
protocol shall be adopted by June 30, 2000, and in use by all EMS providers by January 1, 2002.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 23; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 3, 8; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 7-15; 73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 5[6]; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 110, § 138; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9803. Statewide paramedic system.
(a) Except for those activities and responsibilities for basic life support and other emergency services which are under the
jurisdiction of the State Fire Prevention Commission, the Office shall have jurisdiction over the development, implementation
and maintenance of a statewide paramedic system. As part of its responsibilities, the Office shall:
(1) Hire an administrator and staff to carry out the intent of this legislation, which shall include identifying the minimum
number of paramedics that are required to be hired by a county so as to achieve advanced life support coverage throughout
the State;
(2) Advise in the development of standards for the selection of students to the didactic, clinical, and field training portion
of paramedic advanced training.
(3) Assure reasonable conditions and qualifications for certification of any person serving as a paramedic that meets or exceeds
the advance life support standard of the United States Department of Transportation;
(4) Assure that county boundaries do not become barriers to the effective and efficient deployment of paramedic units by coordinating
the development of and approving service and/or training reciprocity agreements between counties;
(5) Approve or deny the request of a hospital to become designated as a medical command facility. Such approval, denial or
subsequent revocation or limitation of such designation shall be based on the ability of the hospital to comply with the operational
and staffing requirements prescribed for medical command facilities by the Division of Public Health. In making decisions
pursuant to this paragraph, the Office shall seek the advice of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(6) Assure that training and continuing education opportunities required for paramedic certification are reasonably accessible
from a geographic standpoint.
(b) A "memorandum of agreement" shall be established between the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of
Public Health, Delaware State Police, State Fire Prevention Commission, Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline and any
other agency serving as a component to the emergency medical services system in compliance with their respective agency's
statutory provisions. To foster continuity and program coordination, the Office shall enforce each such memorandum of agreement.
(c) In order to provide statewide paramedic services, the counties shall provide the following minimum number of paramedic
staff hours: 122,640 paramedic staff hours per year for New Castle County; 52,560 paramedic staff hours per year for Kent
County; and 87,600 paramedic staff hours per year for Sussex County. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services shall have the authority, subject to appropriation, to increase the minimum number of paramedic staff hours to ensure
the efficient and effective operation of the statewide paramedic services program. At any time after enactment into law, following
submission of an application by New Castle County subject to approval by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services, the paramedic staff hours for New Castle County shall increase by 17,520 paramedic staff hours per year until January
1, 2001, at which time it shall increase by an additional 17,520 paramedic staff hours.
(d) Each operating paramedic unit should be continuously staffed by 2 paramedics. Notwithstanding this requirement, the Board
of Medical Licensure and Discipline, following review and approval by the State EMS Medical Director and ALS Standards Committee,
shall have the authority to grant approval to the county paramedic services to conduct pilot programs utilizing other staff
configurations including but not limited to the number and type of staff on each operating ALS unit.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 24; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 4; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, §§ 1, 2; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 16, 30; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9804. Paramedic Advisory Council.
Repealed by 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 3, eff. July 12, 1999.
§ 9805. Paramedic Administrator.
The Paramedic Administrator shall be employed within the Office of Emergency Medical Services responsible directly to the
Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The Paramedic Administrator shall be a state employee within the Merit
System and shall be responsible for the following:
(1) Hiring sufficient personnel to provide staff and clerical support for the office;
(2) Verifying certification from the Board for each paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor;
(3) Administering and coordinating all activities of the program including periodic inspections;
(4) Developing appropriate uniforms as required;
(5) Developing and negotiating contracts with county paramedic services;
(6) Developing annual budgets;
(7) Procuring the necessary equipment to carry out the requirements of this legislation and following the current state bidding
and procurement policies for equipment; i.e., vehicles, communication equipment, medical equipment and uniforms as required;
(8) Develop rules governing the operation of programs that provide paramedical instruction to ensure compliance with the ALS
Standards of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(9) Providing reports of activities as required by the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services; and
(10) Monitoring paramedic staff hours in each county.
(11) Have the authority to suspend a paramedic from patient treatment or to permit limited practice for the duration of an
investigation of the paramedic by the Division of Professional Regulation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 5, 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 3; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 17; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 2; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9806. EMS medical directors.
(a) There shall be 5 part time EMS Medical Directors: 1 State EMS Medical Director, 3 county EMS medical directors and 1 Basic
Life Support EMS Director. Each county EMS medical director shall practice emergency medicine in the county in which the county
director serves as a director, unless otherwise approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The State EMS Medical
Director shall supervise all EMS Medical Directors. The Basic Life Support EMS Medical Director shall serve as an advisor
for basic life support to the State Fire Prevention Commission. An EMS Medical Director shall be available at all times to
advise supervising physicians, EMS providers and EMS provider agencies.
(b) As part of their responsibilities, the EMS medical directors shall:
(1) Provide medical oversight and prospective, concurrent and retrospective medical quality control of advanced life support,
basic life support and emergency medical dispatch;
(2) Establish and ensure compliance with standing orders and treatment protocols;
(3) Provide review and evaluate the medical interventions of the EMS providers;
(4) Coordinate with and advise the Office of EMS, State Fire Prevention Commission and provider agencies of any deficiencies
within the system with suggested remedies;
(5) Monitor the EMS providers for skill degradation and recommend appropriate remedies to the Office of EMS, the State Fire
Prevention Commission and the provider agencies;
(6) Offer technical assistance to all EMS providers and assist in the provision of patient care while functioning as an EMS
Medical Director; and
(7) Have authority to suspend EMS providers immediately from patient treatment for a period not to exceed 30 days, if they
determine that it is necessary in order to prevent a clear and immediate danger to the public health.
(c) Each EMS medical director shall be employed by the State, by contract or otherwise, and shall be a board certified emergency
physician actually involved in the practice of emergency medicine.
(d) The EMS medical directors shall be appointed by the Director of the Division of Public Health who shall consult with the
Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline as part of the selection process.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 9; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 2; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 4; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 19; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 3; 74 Del. Laws, c. 101, §§ 1-4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9807. Paramedics.
(a) A paramedic may provide such paramedic services as are set forth in the paramedic's certificate if such services are provided
under the supervision of a physician, or in any context where voice contact by radio or telephone is monitored by a physician;
and such paramedic may provide advanced life support where authorized to do so by a physician.
(b) If direct voice communication between a physician and a paramedic fails or is technically impossible, the paramedic may
perform any emergency medical service for which the paramedic is certified, in compliance with treatment protocols set forth
by the Board, when the life of the patient is in immediate danger and requires such care for its preservation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 9808. Role of county governments.
(a) Each county shall participate in the operation and funding of the statewide paramedic services program, and shall provide
the Office with all necessary information requested by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in the
time frames and in the format prescribed.
(b) Any paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor must be certified by the Administrator and the State Paramedic
Medical Director in accordance with the standards of the Board. Direct initial training costs shall be paid partially at state
expense, based on the results of an annual needs assessment conducted by the Office.
(c) The counties shall be bound by the rules, regulations, requirements and procedures established pursuant to this chapter.
(d) The authority to select, discipline and terminate a paramedic or any administrative staff authorized as a shared expense
shall reside with the county or its subcontractor, except that suspension or revocation of an EMT-P certification for reasons
covered by § 9811 of this title shall be conducted in accordance with this chapter.
(e) A county may choose to operate its own paramedic service using regular county employees entirely, or it may contract portions
of its service to other governmental entities.
(f) If a county elects in the design of its paramedic service to exceed the training standards, minimum number of paramedic
staff hours, or otherwise exceed the requirements established in accordance with this chapter, the county shall be 100% liable
for any additional cost. At a minimum, a county shall deploy the number of paramedics and paramedic units determined to be
necessary to meet the operational requirements of this chapter.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 5; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 29, 31; 77 Del. Laws, c. 84, § 178.;
§ 9809. Certification.
(a) No individual shall represent that individual's own self as a paramedic certified by this State unless the person so represented
is in fact certified by the Board.
(b) No person nor governmental agency shall represent itself as a paramedic service, emergency medical service, or similar
type of service certified by this State unless such person or governmental agency is in fact certified by the Department.
(c) No person shall provide, offer nor advertise to provide advanced life support services outside a hospital, unless so authorized
by law.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any paramedic who has been certified by the Board of Medical Licensure
and Discipline prior to the effective date of this chapter shall automatically be certified under this chapter, and shall
be deemed to have complied with all the requirements of this chapter.
(e) Pending formal approval of paramedic certification by the Board, the executive director of the Board may issue a temporary
certification to a paramedic whose application establishes to the satisfaction of the executive director that the applicant
has met all requirements and standards for certification. Such temporary certification shall be valid for not greater than
90 days.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 369, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9809A. Criminal background checks.
(a) A person seeking certification as an emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P) shall apply to the Board using forms
prescribed by the Board and shall submit to the State Office of Emergency Medical Services fingerprints and other necessary
information in order to obtain the following:
(1) A report of the individual's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification or a statement from
the State Bureau of Identification that the State Bureau of Identification Central Repository contains no such information
relating to that person.
(2) A report of the individual's entire federal criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The State
Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary for the purposes of this section and the Office shall be the screening
point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records.
(b) Upon receipt of fingerprints and other necessary information pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Office shall
acquire and review the state and federal criminal history records for the applicant and may interview the applicant. If the
Office determines that the applicant meets the requirements of this section and of its regulations, it shall issue a binding
recommendation to the Board regarding the certification of the applicant, subject to the following provisions:
(1) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes:
a. A felony involving sexual misconduct where the victim's failure to affirmatively consent is an element of the crime, such
as forcible rape;
b. A felony involving the sexual or physical abuse of a child or of an elderly or infirm person, such as sexual misconduct
with a child, sexual exploitation of a child, making or distributing child pornography, incest involving a child, or assault
on an elderly or infirm person;
c. A crime in which the victim is an out-of-hospital patient or a patient or resident of a health care facility, including
abuse, neglect or theft from or financial exploitation of a person entrusted to the care or protection of the applicant.
(2) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes, except in extraordinary circumstances:
a. Any crime for which the applicant is currently incarcerated, on work release, on probation, or on parole;
b. A crime in the following categories, unless at least 5 years have passed since the applicant's conviction or at least 5
years have passed since the applicant was released from custodial confinement, whichever occurs later:
1. A serious crime of violence against a person, such as assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, murder or attempted
murder, manslaughter (other than involuntary manslaughter), kidnapping, robbery of any degree, or arson;
2. A crime involving a controlled substance or designer drug, including unlawful possession or distribution of, or intent
to unlawfully possess or distribute, a controlled substance in Schedules I through V of the Uniform Controlled Substances
Act of Chapter 47 of this title;
3. A serious crime involving property, such as arson, burglary, embezzlement or insurance fraud;
4. Any crime involving sexual misconduct.
(3) In extraordinary circumstances, certification granted pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection may be granted only
if the applicant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that certification will not jeopardize public health and safety.
The Office shall determine and advise the Board:
a. If extraordinary circumstances exist allowing certification pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection; and
b. If the applicant has established by clear and convincing evidence that such certification will not jeopardize public health
and safety.
(c) Certificates issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period as determined by the Board and may be renewed
after reconsideration, which may include an interview, if the holder meets the requirements set forth in the regulations of
the Board. The Board may decertify any EMT-P at any time it determines that the person no longer meets the qualifications
prescribed for certification.
(d) Information obtained pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is confidential and shall not be disclosed under any circumstances
except:
(1) The State Bureau of Identification may release any subsequent criminal history to the Office of Emergency Medical Services
or the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline when properly requested; and
(2) All information that has been forwarded to the Office pursuant to this section shall be reviewed with the person seeking
certification pursuant to this section upon the person's request.
(e) Costs associated with obtaining criminal history information pursuant to this section from the State Bureau of Identification
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be borne by the applicant.
(f)(1) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P through the New Castle County paramedic service is exempted from the provisions
of subsections (a) and (b) of this section; provided, however, that the criminal history background check and review procedures
employed by the New Castle County paramedic service are found to be at least as restrictive as those contained in this section.
For the purposes of any criminal history background check or review conducted pursuant to regulations promulgated pursuant
to this subsection, the State Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary and the New Castle County Department of Police
Paramedic Service shall be the screening point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records. The New Castle County
Department of Police may designate any or all of the other divisions or offices therein as a screening point for the receipt
of said federal criminal history records.
(2) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P who is presently employed as a law enforcement officer in this State and who
was subject to a review of the person's own entire criminal history background at the time the person began employment as
a law enforcement officer in this State is exempted from the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section if, at
the time of the prior criminal history background check, no items described in subdivision (b)(1) of this section appeared
as part of the person's criminal history background.
(g) A person seeking certification pursuant to this section who knowingly provides false, incomplete or inaccurate criminal
history information, or who otherwise knowingly violates the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a class G felony
and shall be punished according to Chapter 42 of Title 11.
73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 6[7]; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9810. Reciprocity.
Where a person applies for a certification as a paramedic and has already been licensed or certified as such in another state,
the Administrator shall accept a true copy of such license or certificate, or evidence of any examination scores issued by
a testing service or professional paramedic association, which shows that the applicant has met requirements in the previous
state which are equal to those required in this State; such applicant shall be required to meet such written and practical
examinations as determined by the medical directors; and the Board shall certify such person to be a paramedic in the State.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9811. Violations; disciplinary procedure.
(a) The Administrator may at any time upon the Administrator's own motion; and shall, upon verified written complaint of any
person, request an investigation be conducted by the Executive Director of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to
determine whether or not there are grounds to recommend suspension, revocation or any other penalty upon a person certified
under the provisions of this chapter. The Administrator shall recommend to the Board to suspend or revoke any certificate
if after a hearing it is found that the holder thereof has:
(1) Obtained such certificate by means of fraud or deceit;
(2) Demonstrated gross negligence, or has proven otherwise to be grossly incompetent; or
(3) Violated or aided or abetted in the violation of any provision of this chapter.
(b) If a paramedic's physical or mental capacity to safely perform the paramedic's duties and responsibilities is at issue,
the County may order such paramedic to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination. Failure to comply with this
order shall render such paramedic liable to suspension or revocation of the paramedic's certificate.
(c) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a member of the public from filing a complaint directly with the Board of Medical
Licensure and Discipline. Upon receipt of a complaint by the Division of Professional Regulations, the Administrator shall
be notified in the interest of public safety.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, §§ 5-8; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9812. Suspension, revocation and other penalties.
(a) For purpose of the public health, safety and welfare, and notwithstanding any other statute or provision of law, the Administrator
may recommend to a county or the Board that any of the following penalties, singly or in combination, be imposed:
(1) That a letter of reprimand be issued;
(2) That a paramedic be placed on probationary status with limited responsibilities and be required to:
a. Regularly report to the county upon the matters which are the basis of the probation;
b. Limit all paramedical activities to those areas specifically recommended by the Administrator; and/or
c. Take either remedial or continuing education until the required degree of skill has been attained in those areas which
are the basis of the probation;
(3) That a paramedic's certification be suspended; or
(4) That a paramedic's certification be revoked.
(b) No penalties shall be imposed upon a paramedic's certification without provisions for a hearing. Hearings shall be established
in accordance with the provisions of the Medical Practices Act, Chapter 17 of Title 24.
(c) and (d). [Deleted.]
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 9.;
§ 9813. Liability; limitations.
(a) Physician instructions. -- No emergency physician or designee of such physician who in good faith gives instructions to
a paramedic shall be liable for any civil damages which may occur as the result of issuing such instructions; unless the conduct
of the physician or the designee of such physician in issuing such instructions rises to the level of willful and wanton,
reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(b) Paramedics. -- No paramedic who in good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care authorized by this
chapter shall be liable for any civil damages which occur as a result of any act or omission of the paramedic in the rendering
of such care; unless such paramedic is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(c) Educational programs. -- No university, college, medical facility or other entity participating as part of an educational
program, nor any faculty member of any such entity, nor any student of such entity who is enrolled in a course of instruction
approved by the Administrator, shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of any primary or continuing educational
practice conducted under proper supervision, unless such university, college or other entity or faculty member or student
is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(d) Health facilities. -- No health facility which assists a physician in giving instructions to a paramedic in accordance
with this chapter shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of such instructions, unless such health facility is
guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9814. Statewide paramedic funding program.
(a) The statewide paramedic funding program is hereby established for the purpose of participating with the counties in the
financing of the statewide paramedic program.
(b) The operational costs of the minmum paramedic staff hours established for each county in § 9803(c) of this title shall
be shared by the State and county with the State providing 30 percent of the cost and the county providing 70 percent beginning
in Fiscal Year 2010.
(c) A county will not be eligible for its 30 percent state share until such time as the rules, regulations, procedures, protocols
and approvals required by this chapter have been completed or July 1, 1990, whichever is later. The date of approval by the
Department of a county program shall be the starting date in terms of eligibility for state share funding. No county programs
will be funded retroactively and the Department shall not unreasonably withhold or delay any approval. The Secretary shall
not encumber any of the state funds applied for by a county until such county has appropriated its proportional share of funding.
(d) The General Assembly shall appropriate annually an amount sufficient to reimburse 30 percent of approved costs of the
statewide paramedic program; this appropriation shall be made in the annual Grants-In-Aid Act and shall be appropriated to
the Office of Emergency Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services, which shall
serve as the State's fiscal agent for distributing the funds in accordance with this chapter to counties that operate approved
programs. The appropriation in the Grants-In-Aid Act of the state share of the paramedic funding program shall not be subject
to the limitation in § 6533(f) of Title 29.
(e) Funds distributed to a county for the purpose of supporting a county component of the statewide paramedic system may be
used for direct operating costs or as debt service and financing for bond issuance for that purpose. For those capital projects
with a total cost greater than $200,000, the State shall reimburse on a debt service basis. In no instance shall reimbursement
include the cost of indirect services provided by the county.
(f) The Office shall promulgate regulations for the distribution of the funds appropriated pursuant to this chapter to the
counties that provide for reimbursement on a quarterly basis.
(g) Funds appropriated pursuant to this section may not be used to fund basic life support services. To the extent that a
county or its subcontractor operates integrated advanced and basic life support services, the Office shall devise a methodology
to separate costs and shall provide reimbursement accordingly.
(h) The Office shall report on the applications, expenditures, and uses of the statewide paramedic funding program annually
as part of the budgetary process of the Department.
(i) The Delaware Paramedic Budget Review package shall be submitted by the counties to the Paramedic Administrator by September
1 of each year. Such request shall include, but not be limited to, a detailed plan of expenditure for each county's approved
paramedic program for the subsequent fiscal year. The Paramedic Administrator shall forward copies of the counties' requests,
along with the Department's funding recommendation to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget by November 1.
(j) The Office shall distribute, by contract or otherwise, all state funds used for paramedic training programs.
67 Del. Laws, c. 153, § 1; 68 Del. Laws, c. 290, § 124; 68 Del. Laws, c. 292, § 19; 69 Del. Laws, c. 64, § 144; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 10; 71 Del. Laws, c. 169, § 21; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 6; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 18; 74 Del. Laws, c. 111, § 31; 74 Del. Laws, c. 309, §§ 28-30; 75 Del. Laws, c. 88, § 21(8); 75 Del. Laws, c. 352, § 29(a); 76 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 29.;
Paramedic and Other Emergency Medical Service Systems
CHAPTER 98. PARAMEDIC SERVICES
§ 9801. Purpose.
(a) It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a statewide paramedic program under the direction of the Office of Emergency
Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services.
(b) The paramedic program includes a coordinated advanced life support system, under qualified medical supervision, which
has the responsibility for providing a rapid response capability in the delivery of emergency medical services to individuals
who become unexpectedly ill or incapacitated or who are otherwise placed in a position where highly skilled medical assistance
must be rendered to sustain or maintain such individual prior to institutional health care.
(c) The paramedic services program shall be utilized for medical emergencies, either at the scene or while the patient is
in transit to a health facility.
(d) It is the further purpose of this chapter to provide a program which shall have a direct impact on the morbidity and mortality
rates of this State and which, over a period of time, will also reduce health care costs to each emergency patient.
(e) It is the further purpose of this chapter to establish a framework for the creation of an effective and efficient means
for the provision of advanced life support services to the citizens of the State regardless of their economic status, who
require such services without prior inquiry as to the patient's ability to pay.
(f) This chapter is intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this State by providing for
the creation of a statewide advanced life support services system, in conjunction with the efforts of all providers of emergency
medical services in this State, with uniform standards for all such providers of advanced life support services.
(g) It is the further purpose of this chapter to insure that emergency patients requiring advanced life support services are
transported from the scene of a medical emergency to the nearest emergency medical institution or the institution of their
choice, within reason, that possesses the equipment and staff resources to immediately attend to the particular needs of the
patient. This statement is tempered by the understanding that, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to bypass the
closest medical facility if specialized medical care is required. It shall also be understood that the use of paramedics
to assist in the transfer of patients to facilities and programs which offer such follow-up care and rehabilitation as is
necessary to effect the maximum recovery of the patient, shall be permitted when deemed medically necessary.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 7.;
§ 9802. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section,
except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) "Administrator" shall mean the program chief of the paramedic services responsible for advanced life support and the administration
of the Delaware Paramedic Services Act;
(2) "Advanced life support" (ALS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(3) "Basic life support" (BLS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(4) "Board" shall mean the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(5) "Certification" means original certification as an EMT-P by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(6) "County" or "counties" shall refer singularly or collectively to New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties of the State;
(7) "County paramedic service" shall mean the paramedic service operated pursuant to this chapter by a county with its own
employees or under contract with another governmental entity;
(8) "Criminal history" means a person's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification and the person's
entire federal criminal history record maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(9) "Decertification" means the cancellation or revocation of the certificate issued by Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
to an EMT-P.
(10) "Department" shall mean the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services;
(11) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider" shall mean individual providers certified by the Delaware State Fire Prevention
Commission or the Office of EMS, or emergency medical dispatchers certified by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.
(12) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider agency" shall mean a provider agency certified by the Delaware State Fire
Prevention Commission or the Office of EMS, or an emergency medical dispatch center under contract with the Department of
Safety and Homeland Security.
(13) "Emergency medical unit" shall mean an ambulance, rescue vehicle or any other specialized vehicle staffed by EMS providers
and other certified or licensed medical care providers, and utilized solely for providing mobile pre-hospital care and other
emergency medical treatment;
(14) "Medical command facility" shall mean the distinct unit within a hospital which meets the operational, staffing and equipment
requirements established by the Division of Public Health for providing medical control to the EMS providers. Any hospital
that operates an emergency medical facility and desires to be designated as a medical command facility shall maintain and
staff such facility on its premises and at its own expense with the exception of base station communication devices which
shall be an authorized shared expense pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;
(15) "Medical control" shall mean an order or directive given to an EMS provider by an authorized medical control physician.
These orders or directives shall normally be provided from a specifically authorized and designated medical command facility
with such medical supervision supplying professional support to the EMS provider through radio or telephonic communication
for on-scene and in-transit basic and advanced life support services;
(16) "Medical control physician" shall mean any physician certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American
Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, or their successors, or a physician certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS),
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or other courses approved by the Office of
Emergency Medical Services who is credentialed by the hospital within which a medical command facility is located and who
is authorized by the medical command facility to give medical control commands via radio or other telecommunication devices
to an EMS provider. When a medical control physician establishes contact with an EMS provider, the EMS provider shall, solely
for the purpose of compliance with the Medical Licensure and Discipline Act, be considered to be operating under the license
of said medical control physician;
(17) "Office" shall mean the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health
and Social Services;
(18) "Paramedic" shall be synonymous with "emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P)," as the same is defined in Chapter
97 of this title;
(19) "Paramedic staff hour" shall mean 1 full hour of a paramedic on duty.
(20) "Pre-hospital care" shall mean any emergency medical service, including advanced life support, rendered by an emergency
medical unit before and during transportation to a hospital or other facility, and upon arrival at the facility until such
care is assumed by the facility's staff;
(21) "Service and/or training reciprocity agreements" shall mean written agreements negotiated between 2 counties or between
a county and an adjoining state or a governmental entity of an adjoining state and approved pursuant to the provisions of
this chapter which provide for the scheduled delivery of paramedic services by paramedics to citizens of this State or a neighboring
state by personnel certified to render such services by this State or a neighboring state, or such similar agreements as are
required by and between the counties of this State, in order to effectively and efficiently deliver paramedic services. Such
agreements may also include provisions that provide for the temporary rotation of paramedics and/or equipment between the
counties of this State in order to provide such personnel with proper experience and training opportunities, address seasonal
demands, or adequately respond to a disaster or severe emergency incident. All such agreements shall include any financial
terms, or other considerations included as part of the agreement;
(22) "State EMS Medical Director" shall mean a physician who is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine
and/or by the Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine and who shall be the chief physician for the statewide emergency medical
system and under whose license all EMS providers shall operate for the purpose of delivering the standing orders of the statewide
standard treatment protocol;
(23) "Statewide ALS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of paramedics. The treatment protocol for advanced life support must
be approved and signed by the State EMS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department of
Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol shall be prepared by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. In
preparing and, from time to time, amending the statewide ALS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult with the State EMS
Medical Director and the ALS Standards Committee of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(24) "Statewide BLS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of basic life support providers. The treatment protocol shall be prepared
by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. The treatment protocol for basic life support must be approved and signed
by the State EMS Medical Director, the BLS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department
of Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol for basic life support shall be adopted and enacted by the State Fire
Prevention Commission. In preparing and, from time to time, amending statewide BLS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult
with the EMS Medical Director, the ALS Standards Commission and the State Fire Prevention Commission. The Statewide BLS treatment
protocol shall be adopted by June 30, 2000, and in use by all EMS providers by January 1, 2002.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 23; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 3, 8; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 7-15; 73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 5[6]; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 110, § 138; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9803. Statewide paramedic system.
(a) Except for those activities and responsibilities for basic life support and other emergency services which are under the
jurisdiction of the State Fire Prevention Commission, the Office shall have jurisdiction over the development, implementation
and maintenance of a statewide paramedic system. As part of its responsibilities, the Office shall:
(1) Hire an administrator and staff to carry out the intent of this legislation, which shall include identifying the minimum
number of paramedics that are required to be hired by a county so as to achieve advanced life support coverage throughout
the State;
(2) Advise in the development of standards for the selection of students to the didactic, clinical, and field training portion
of paramedic advanced training.
(3) Assure reasonable conditions and qualifications for certification of any person serving as a paramedic that meets or exceeds
the advance life support standard of the United States Department of Transportation;
(4) Assure that county boundaries do not become barriers to the effective and efficient deployment of paramedic units by coordinating
the development of and approving service and/or training reciprocity agreements between counties;
(5) Approve or deny the request of a hospital to become designated as a medical command facility. Such approval, denial or
subsequent revocation or limitation of such designation shall be based on the ability of the hospital to comply with the operational
and staffing requirements prescribed for medical command facilities by the Division of Public Health. In making decisions
pursuant to this paragraph, the Office shall seek the advice of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(6) Assure that training and continuing education opportunities required for paramedic certification are reasonably accessible
from a geographic standpoint.
(b) A "memorandum of agreement" shall be established between the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of
Public Health, Delaware State Police, State Fire Prevention Commission, Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline and any
other agency serving as a component to the emergency medical services system in compliance with their respective agency's
statutory provisions. To foster continuity and program coordination, the Office shall enforce each such memorandum of agreement.
(c) In order to provide statewide paramedic services, the counties shall provide the following minimum number of paramedic
staff hours: 122,640 paramedic staff hours per year for New Castle County; 52,560 paramedic staff hours per year for Kent
County; and 87,600 paramedic staff hours per year for Sussex County. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services shall have the authority, subject to appropriation, to increase the minimum number of paramedic staff hours to ensure
the efficient and effective operation of the statewide paramedic services program. At any time after enactment into law, following
submission of an application by New Castle County subject to approval by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services, the paramedic staff hours for New Castle County shall increase by 17,520 paramedic staff hours per year until January
1, 2001, at which time it shall increase by an additional 17,520 paramedic staff hours.
(d) Each operating paramedic unit should be continuously staffed by 2 paramedics. Notwithstanding this requirement, the Board
of Medical Licensure and Discipline, following review and approval by the State EMS Medical Director and ALS Standards Committee,
shall have the authority to grant approval to the county paramedic services to conduct pilot programs utilizing other staff
configurations including but not limited to the number and type of staff on each operating ALS unit.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 24; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 4; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, §§ 1, 2; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 16, 30; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9804. Paramedic Advisory Council.
Repealed by 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 3, eff. July 12, 1999.
§ 9805. Paramedic Administrator.
The Paramedic Administrator shall be employed within the Office of Emergency Medical Services responsible directly to the
Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The Paramedic Administrator shall be a state employee within the Merit
System and shall be responsible for the following:
(1) Hiring sufficient personnel to provide staff and clerical support for the office;
(2) Verifying certification from the Board for each paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor;
(3) Administering and coordinating all activities of the program including periodic inspections;
(4) Developing appropriate uniforms as required;
(5) Developing and negotiating contracts with county paramedic services;
(6) Developing annual budgets;
(7) Procuring the necessary equipment to carry out the requirements of this legislation and following the current state bidding
and procurement policies for equipment; i.e., vehicles, communication equipment, medical equipment and uniforms as required;
(8) Develop rules governing the operation of programs that provide paramedical instruction to ensure compliance with the ALS
Standards of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(9) Providing reports of activities as required by the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services; and
(10) Monitoring paramedic staff hours in each county.
(11) Have the authority to suspend a paramedic from patient treatment or to permit limited practice for the duration of an
investigation of the paramedic by the Division of Professional Regulation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 5, 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 3; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 17; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 2; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9806. EMS medical directors.
(a) There shall be 5 part time EMS Medical Directors: 1 State EMS Medical Director, 3 county EMS medical directors and 1 Basic
Life Support EMS Director. Each county EMS medical director shall practice emergency medicine in the county in which the county
director serves as a director, unless otherwise approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The State EMS Medical
Director shall supervise all EMS Medical Directors. The Basic Life Support EMS Medical Director shall serve as an advisor
for basic life support to the State Fire Prevention Commission. An EMS Medical Director shall be available at all times to
advise supervising physicians, EMS providers and EMS provider agencies.
(b) As part of their responsibilities, the EMS medical directors shall:
(1) Provide medical oversight and prospective, concurrent and retrospective medical quality control of advanced life support,
basic life support and emergency medical dispatch;
(2) Establish and ensure compliance with standing orders and treatment protocols;
(3) Provide review and evaluate the medical interventions of the EMS providers;
(4) Coordinate with and advise the Office of EMS, State Fire Prevention Commission and provider agencies of any deficiencies
within the system with suggested remedies;
(5) Monitor the EMS providers for skill degradation and recommend appropriate remedies to the Office of EMS, the State Fire
Prevention Commission and the provider agencies;
(6) Offer technical assistance to all EMS providers and assist in the provision of patient care while functioning as an EMS
Medical Director; and
(7) Have authority to suspend EMS providers immediately from patient treatment for a period not to exceed 30 days, if they
determine that it is necessary in order to prevent a clear and immediate danger to the public health.
(c) Each EMS medical director shall be employed by the State, by contract or otherwise, and shall be a board certified emergency
physician actually involved in the practice of emergency medicine.
(d) The EMS medical directors shall be appointed by the Director of the Division of Public Health who shall consult with the
Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline as part of the selection process.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 9; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 2; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 4; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 19; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 3; 74 Del. Laws, c. 101, §§ 1-4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9807. Paramedics.
(a) A paramedic may provide such paramedic services as are set forth in the paramedic's certificate if such services are provided
under the supervision of a physician, or in any context where voice contact by radio or telephone is monitored by a physician;
and such paramedic may provide advanced life support where authorized to do so by a physician.
(b) If direct voice communication between a physician and a paramedic fails or is technically impossible, the paramedic may
perform any emergency medical service for which the paramedic is certified, in compliance with treatment protocols set forth
by the Board, when the life of the patient is in immediate danger and requires such care for its preservation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 9808. Role of county governments.
(a) Each county shall participate in the operation and funding of the statewide paramedic services program, and shall provide
the Office with all necessary information requested by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in the
time frames and in the format prescribed.
(b) Any paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor must be certified by the Administrator and the State Paramedic
Medical Director in accordance with the standards of the Board. Direct initial training costs shall be paid partially at state
expense, based on the results of an annual needs assessment conducted by the Office.
(c) The counties shall be bound by the rules, regulations, requirements and procedures established pursuant to this chapter.
(d) The authority to select, discipline and terminate a paramedic or any administrative staff authorized as a shared expense
shall reside with the county or its subcontractor, except that suspension or revocation of an EMT-P certification for reasons
covered by § 9811 of this title shall be conducted in accordance with this chapter.
(e) A county may choose to operate its own paramedic service using regular county employees entirely, or it may contract portions
of its service to other governmental entities.
(f) If a county elects in the design of its paramedic service to exceed the training standards, minimum number of paramedic
staff hours, or otherwise exceed the requirements established in accordance with this chapter, the county shall be 100% liable
for any additional cost. At a minimum, a county shall deploy the number of paramedics and paramedic units determined to be
necessary to meet the operational requirements of this chapter.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 5; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 29, 31; 77 Del. Laws, c. 84, § 178.;
§ 9809. Certification.
(a) No individual shall represent that individual's own self as a paramedic certified by this State unless the person so represented
is in fact certified by the Board.
(b) No person nor governmental agency shall represent itself as a paramedic service, emergency medical service, or similar
type of service certified by this State unless such person or governmental agency is in fact certified by the Department.
(c) No person shall provide, offer nor advertise to provide advanced life support services outside a hospital, unless so authorized
by law.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any paramedic who has been certified by the Board of Medical Licensure
and Discipline prior to the effective date of this chapter shall automatically be certified under this chapter, and shall
be deemed to have complied with all the requirements of this chapter.
(e) Pending formal approval of paramedic certification by the Board, the executive director of the Board may issue a temporary
certification to a paramedic whose application establishes to the satisfaction of the executive director that the applicant
has met all requirements and standards for certification. Such temporary certification shall be valid for not greater than
90 days.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 369, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9809A. Criminal background checks.
(a) A person seeking certification as an emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P) shall apply to the Board using forms
prescribed by the Board and shall submit to the State Office of Emergency Medical Services fingerprints and other necessary
information in order to obtain the following:
(1) A report of the individual's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification or a statement from
the State Bureau of Identification that the State Bureau of Identification Central Repository contains no such information
relating to that person.
(2) A report of the individual's entire federal criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The State
Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary for the purposes of this section and the Office shall be the screening
point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records.
(b) Upon receipt of fingerprints and other necessary information pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Office shall
acquire and review the state and federal criminal history records for the applicant and may interview the applicant. If the
Office determines that the applicant meets the requirements of this section and of its regulations, it shall issue a binding
recommendation to the Board regarding the certification of the applicant, subject to the following provisions:
(1) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes:
a. A felony involving sexual misconduct where the victim's failure to affirmatively consent is an element of the crime, such
as forcible rape;
b. A felony involving the sexual or physical abuse of a child or of an elderly or infirm person, such as sexual misconduct
with a child, sexual exploitation of a child, making or distributing child pornography, incest involving a child, or assault
on an elderly or infirm person;
c. A crime in which the victim is an out-of-hospital patient or a patient or resident of a health care facility, including
abuse, neglect or theft from or financial exploitation of a person entrusted to the care or protection of the applicant.
(2) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes, except in extraordinary circumstances:
a. Any crime for which the applicant is currently incarcerated, on work release, on probation, or on parole;
b. A crime in the following categories, unless at least 5 years have passed since the applicant's conviction or at least 5
years have passed since the applicant was released from custodial confinement, whichever occurs later:
1. A serious crime of violence against a person, such as assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, murder or attempted
murder, manslaughter (other than involuntary manslaughter), kidnapping, robbery of any degree, or arson;
2. A crime involving a controlled substance or designer drug, including unlawful possession or distribution of, or intent
to unlawfully possess or distribute, a controlled substance in Schedules I through V of the Uniform Controlled Substances
Act of Chapter 47 of this title;
3. A serious crime involving property, such as arson, burglary, embezzlement or insurance fraud;
4. Any crime involving sexual misconduct.
(3) In extraordinary circumstances, certification granted pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection may be granted only
if the applicant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that certification will not jeopardize public health and safety.
The Office shall determine and advise the Board:
a. If extraordinary circumstances exist allowing certification pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection; and
b. If the applicant has established by clear and convincing evidence that such certification will not jeopardize public health
and safety.
(c) Certificates issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period as determined by the Board and may be renewed
after reconsideration, which may include an interview, if the holder meets the requirements set forth in the regulations of
the Board. The Board may decertify any EMT-P at any time it determines that the person no longer meets the qualifications
prescribed for certification.
(d) Information obtained pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is confidential and shall not be disclosed under any circumstances
except:
(1) The State Bureau of Identification may release any subsequent criminal history to the Office of Emergency Medical Services
or the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline when properly requested; and
(2) All information that has been forwarded to the Office pursuant to this section shall be reviewed with the person seeking
certification pursuant to this section upon the person's request.
(e) Costs associated with obtaining criminal history information pursuant to this section from the State Bureau of Identification
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be borne by the applicant.
(f)(1) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P through the New Castle County paramedic service is exempted from the provisions
of subsections (a) and (b) of this section; provided, however, that the criminal history background check and review procedures
employed by the New Castle County paramedic service are found to be at least as restrictive as those contained in this section.
For the purposes of any criminal history background check or review conducted pursuant to regulations promulgated pursuant
to this subsection, the State Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary and the New Castle County Department of Police
Paramedic Service shall be the screening point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records. The New Castle County
Department of Police may designate any or all of the other divisions or offices therein as a screening point for the receipt
of said federal criminal history records.
(2) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P who is presently employed as a law enforcement officer in this State and who
was subject to a review of the person's own entire criminal history background at the time the person began employment as
a law enforcement officer in this State is exempted from the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section if, at
the time of the prior criminal history background check, no items described in subdivision (b)(1) of this section appeared
as part of the person's criminal history background.
(g) A person seeking certification pursuant to this section who knowingly provides false, incomplete or inaccurate criminal
history information, or who otherwise knowingly violates the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a class G felony
and shall be punished according to Chapter 42 of Title 11.
73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 6[7]; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9810. Reciprocity.
Where a person applies for a certification as a paramedic and has already been licensed or certified as such in another state,
the Administrator shall accept a true copy of such license or certificate, or evidence of any examination scores issued by
a testing service or professional paramedic association, which shows that the applicant has met requirements in the previous
state which are equal to those required in this State; such applicant shall be required to meet such written and practical
examinations as determined by the medical directors; and the Board shall certify such person to be a paramedic in the State.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9811. Violations; disciplinary procedure.
(a) The Administrator may at any time upon the Administrator's own motion; and shall, upon verified written complaint of any
person, request an investigation be conducted by the Executive Director of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to
determine whether or not there are grounds to recommend suspension, revocation or any other penalty upon a person certified
under the provisions of this chapter. The Administrator shall recommend to the Board to suspend or revoke any certificate
if after a hearing it is found that the holder thereof has:
(1) Obtained such certificate by means of fraud or deceit;
(2) Demonstrated gross negligence, or has proven otherwise to be grossly incompetent; or
(3) Violated or aided or abetted in the violation of any provision of this chapter.
(b) If a paramedic's physical or mental capacity to safely perform the paramedic's duties and responsibilities is at issue,
the County may order such paramedic to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination. Failure to comply with this
order shall render such paramedic liable to suspension or revocation of the paramedic's certificate.
(c) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a member of the public from filing a complaint directly with the Board of Medical
Licensure and Discipline. Upon receipt of a complaint by the Division of Professional Regulations, the Administrator shall
be notified in the interest of public safety.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, §§ 5-8; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9812. Suspension, revocation and other penalties.
(a) For purpose of the public health, safety and welfare, and notwithstanding any other statute or provision of law, the Administrator
may recommend to a county or the Board that any of the following penalties, singly or in combination, be imposed:
(1) That a letter of reprimand be issued;
(2) That a paramedic be placed on probationary status with limited responsibilities and be required to:
a. Regularly report to the county upon the matters which are the basis of the probation;
b. Limit all paramedical activities to those areas specifically recommended by the Administrator; and/or
c. Take either remedial or continuing education until the required degree of skill has been attained in those areas which
are the basis of the probation;
(3) That a paramedic's certification be suspended; or
(4) That a paramedic's certification be revoked.
(b) No penalties shall be imposed upon a paramedic's certification without provisions for a hearing. Hearings shall be established
in accordance with the provisions of the Medical Practices Act, Chapter 17 of Title 24.
(c) and (d). [Deleted.]
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 9.;
§ 9813. Liability; limitations.
(a) Physician instructions. -- No emergency physician or designee of such physician who in good faith gives instructions to
a paramedic shall be liable for any civil damages which may occur as the result of issuing such instructions; unless the conduct
of the physician or the designee of such physician in issuing such instructions rises to the level of willful and wanton,
reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(b) Paramedics. -- No paramedic who in good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care authorized by this
chapter shall be liable for any civil damages which occur as a result of any act or omission of the paramedic in the rendering
of such care; unless such paramedic is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(c) Educational programs. -- No university, college, medical facility or other entity participating as part of an educational
program, nor any faculty member of any such entity, nor any student of such entity who is enrolled in a course of instruction
approved by the Administrator, shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of any primary or continuing educational
practice conducted under proper supervision, unless such university, college or other entity or faculty member or student
is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(d) Health facilities. -- No health facility which assists a physician in giving instructions to a paramedic in accordance
with this chapter shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of such instructions, unless such health facility is
guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9814. Statewide paramedic funding program.
(a) The statewide paramedic funding program is hereby established for the purpose of participating with the counties in the
financing of the statewide paramedic program.
(b) The operational costs of the minmum paramedic staff hours established for each county in § 9803(c) of this title shall
be shared by the State and county with the State providing 30 percent of the cost and the county providing 70 percent beginning
in Fiscal Year 2010.
(c) A county will not be eligible for its 30 percent state share until such time as the rules, regulations, procedures, protocols
and approvals required by this chapter have been completed or July 1, 1990, whichever is later. The date of approval by the
Department of a county program shall be the starting date in terms of eligibility for state share funding. No county programs
will be funded retroactively and the Department shall not unreasonably withhold or delay any approval. The Secretary shall
not encumber any of the state funds applied for by a county until such county has appropriated its proportional share of funding.
(d) The General Assembly shall appropriate annually an amount sufficient to reimburse 30 percent of approved costs of the
statewide paramedic program; this appropriation shall be made in the annual Grants-In-Aid Act and shall be appropriated to
the Office of Emergency Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services, which shall
serve as the State's fiscal agent for distributing the funds in accordance with this chapter to counties that operate approved
programs. The appropriation in the Grants-In-Aid Act of the state share of the paramedic funding program shall not be subject
to the limitation in § 6533(f) of Title 29.
(e) Funds distributed to a county for the purpose of supporting a county component of the statewide paramedic system may be
used for direct operating costs or as debt service and financing for bond issuance for that purpose. For those capital projects
with a total cost greater than $200,000, the State shall reimburse on a debt service basis. In no instance shall reimbursement
include the cost of indirect services provided by the county.
(f) The Office shall promulgate regulations for the distribution of the funds appropriated pursuant to this chapter to the
counties that provide for reimbursement on a quarterly basis.
(g) Funds appropriated pursuant to this section may not be used to fund basic life support services. To the extent that a
county or its subcontractor operates integrated advanced and basic life support services, the Office shall devise a methodology
to separate costs and shall provide reimbursement accordingly.
(h) The Office shall report on the applications, expenditures, and uses of the statewide paramedic funding program annually
as part of the budgetary process of the Department.
(i) The Delaware Paramedic Budget Review package shall be submitted by the counties to the Paramedic Administrator by September
1 of each year. Such request shall include, but not be limited to, a detailed plan of expenditure for each county's approved
paramedic program for the subsequent fiscal year. The Paramedic Administrator shall forward copies of the counties' requests,
along with the Department's funding recommendation to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget by November 1.
(j) The Office shall distribute, by contract or otherwise, all state funds used for paramedic training programs.
67 Del. Laws, c. 153, § 1; 68 Del. Laws, c. 290, § 124; 68 Del. Laws, c. 292, § 19; 69 Del. Laws, c. 64, § 144; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 10; 71 Del. Laws, c. 169, § 21; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 6; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 18; 74 Del. Laws, c. 111, § 31; 74 Del. Laws, c. 309, §§ 28-30; 75 Del. Laws, c. 88, § 21(8); 75 Del. Laws, c. 352, § 29(a); 76 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 29.;
Paramedic and Other Emergency Medical Service Systems
CHAPTER 98. PARAMEDIC SERVICES
§ 9801. Purpose.
(a) It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a statewide paramedic program under the direction of the Office of Emergency
Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services.
(b) The paramedic program includes a coordinated advanced life support system, under qualified medical supervision, which
has the responsibility for providing a rapid response capability in the delivery of emergency medical services to individuals
who become unexpectedly ill or incapacitated or who are otherwise placed in a position where highly skilled medical assistance
must be rendered to sustain or maintain such individual prior to institutional health care.
(c) The paramedic services program shall be utilized for medical emergencies, either at the scene or while the patient is
in transit to a health facility.
(d) It is the further purpose of this chapter to provide a program which shall have a direct impact on the morbidity and mortality
rates of this State and which, over a period of time, will also reduce health care costs to each emergency patient.
(e) It is the further purpose of this chapter to establish a framework for the creation of an effective and efficient means
for the provision of advanced life support services to the citizens of the State regardless of their economic status, who
require such services without prior inquiry as to the patient's ability to pay.
(f) This chapter is intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this State by providing for
the creation of a statewide advanced life support services system, in conjunction with the efforts of all providers of emergency
medical services in this State, with uniform standards for all such providers of advanced life support services.
(g) It is the further purpose of this chapter to insure that emergency patients requiring advanced life support services are
transported from the scene of a medical emergency to the nearest emergency medical institution or the institution of their
choice, within reason, that possesses the equipment and staff resources to immediately attend to the particular needs of the
patient. This statement is tempered by the understanding that, in certain circumstances, it may be necessary to bypass the
closest medical facility if specialized medical care is required. It shall also be understood that the use of paramedics
to assist in the transfer of patients to facilities and programs which offer such follow-up care and rehabilitation as is
necessary to effect the maximum recovery of the patient, shall be permitted when deemed medically necessary.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 7.;
§ 9802. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section,
except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) "Administrator" shall mean the program chief of the paramedic services responsible for advanced life support and the administration
of the Delaware Paramedic Services Act;
(2) "Advanced life support" (ALS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(3) "Basic life support" (BLS) shall have the same definition as is set forth in Chapter 97 of this title;
(4) "Board" shall mean the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(5) "Certification" means original certification as an EMT-P by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(6) "County" or "counties" shall refer singularly or collectively to New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties of the State;
(7) "County paramedic service" shall mean the paramedic service operated pursuant to this chapter by a county with its own
employees or under contract with another governmental entity;
(8) "Criminal history" means a person's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification and the person's
entire federal criminal history record maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(9) "Decertification" means the cancellation or revocation of the certificate issued by Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
to an EMT-P.
(10) "Department" shall mean the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services;
(11) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider" shall mean individual providers certified by the Delaware State Fire Prevention
Commission or the Office of EMS, or emergency medical dispatchers certified by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch.
(12) "Emergency medical services (EMS) provider agency" shall mean a provider agency certified by the Delaware State Fire
Prevention Commission or the Office of EMS, or an emergency medical dispatch center under contract with the Department of
Safety and Homeland Security.
(13) "Emergency medical unit" shall mean an ambulance, rescue vehicle or any other specialized vehicle staffed by EMS providers
and other certified or licensed medical care providers, and utilized solely for providing mobile pre-hospital care and other
emergency medical treatment;
(14) "Medical command facility" shall mean the distinct unit within a hospital which meets the operational, staffing and equipment
requirements established by the Division of Public Health for providing medical control to the EMS providers. Any hospital
that operates an emergency medical facility and desires to be designated as a medical command facility shall maintain and
staff such facility on its premises and at its own expense with the exception of base station communication devices which
shall be an authorized shared expense pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;
(15) "Medical control" shall mean an order or directive given to an EMS provider by an authorized medical control physician.
These orders or directives shall normally be provided from a specifically authorized and designated medical command facility
with such medical supervision supplying professional support to the EMS provider through radio or telephonic communication
for on-scene and in-transit basic and advanced life support services;
(16) "Medical control physician" shall mean any physician certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American
Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, or their successors, or a physician certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS),
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or other courses approved by the Office of
Emergency Medical Services who is credentialed by the hospital within which a medical command facility is located and who
is authorized by the medical command facility to give medical control commands via radio or other telecommunication devices
to an EMS provider. When a medical control physician establishes contact with an EMS provider, the EMS provider shall, solely
for the purpose of compliance with the Medical Licensure and Discipline Act, be considered to be operating under the license
of said medical control physician;
(17) "Office" shall mean the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health
and Social Services;
(18) "Paramedic" shall be synonymous with "emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P)," as the same is defined in Chapter
97 of this title;
(19) "Paramedic staff hour" shall mean 1 full hour of a paramedic on duty.
(20) "Pre-hospital care" shall mean any emergency medical service, including advanced life support, rendered by an emergency
medical unit before and during transportation to a hospital or other facility, and upon arrival at the facility until such
care is assumed by the facility's staff;
(21) "Service and/or training reciprocity agreements" shall mean written agreements negotiated between 2 counties or between
a county and an adjoining state or a governmental entity of an adjoining state and approved pursuant to the provisions of
this chapter which provide for the scheduled delivery of paramedic services by paramedics to citizens of this State or a neighboring
state by personnel certified to render such services by this State or a neighboring state, or such similar agreements as are
required by and between the counties of this State, in order to effectively and efficiently deliver paramedic services. Such
agreements may also include provisions that provide for the temporary rotation of paramedics and/or equipment between the
counties of this State in order to provide such personnel with proper experience and training opportunities, address seasonal
demands, or adequately respond to a disaster or severe emergency incident. All such agreements shall include any financial
terms, or other considerations included as part of the agreement;
(22) "State EMS Medical Director" shall mean a physician who is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine
and/or by the Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine and who shall be the chief physician for the statewide emergency medical
system and under whose license all EMS providers shall operate for the purpose of delivering the standing orders of the statewide
standard treatment protocol;
(23) "Statewide ALS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of paramedics. The treatment protocol for advanced life support must
be approved and signed by the State EMS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department of
Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol shall be prepared by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. In
preparing and, from time to time, amending the statewide ALS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult with the State EMS
Medical Director and the ALS Standards Committee of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(24) "Statewide BLS treatment protocol" shall mean written and uniform treatment and care plans for emergency and critical
patients statewide that constitute the standing orders of basic life support providers. The treatment protocol shall be prepared
by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. The treatment protocol for basic life support must be approved and signed
by the State EMS Medical Director, the BLS Medical Director and the Director of the Division of Public Health, Department
of Health and Social Services. The treatment protocol for basic life support shall be adopted and enacted by the State Fire
Prevention Commission. In preparing and, from time to time, amending statewide BLS treatment protocol, the Board shall consult
with the EMS Medical Director, the ALS Standards Commission and the State Fire Prevention Commission. The Statewide BLS treatment
protocol shall be adopted by June 30, 2000, and in use by all EMS providers by January 1, 2002.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 23; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 3, 8; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 7-15; 73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 5[6]; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 110, § 138; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9803. Statewide paramedic system.
(a) Except for those activities and responsibilities for basic life support and other emergency services which are under the
jurisdiction of the State Fire Prevention Commission, the Office shall have jurisdiction over the development, implementation
and maintenance of a statewide paramedic system. As part of its responsibilities, the Office shall:
(1) Hire an administrator and staff to carry out the intent of this legislation, which shall include identifying the minimum
number of paramedics that are required to be hired by a county so as to achieve advanced life support coverage throughout
the State;
(2) Advise in the development of standards for the selection of students to the didactic, clinical, and field training portion
of paramedic advanced training.
(3) Assure reasonable conditions and qualifications for certification of any person serving as a paramedic that meets or exceeds
the advance life support standard of the United States Department of Transportation;
(4) Assure that county boundaries do not become barriers to the effective and efficient deployment of paramedic units by coordinating
the development of and approving service and/or training reciprocity agreements between counties;
(5) Approve or deny the request of a hospital to become designated as a medical command facility. Such approval, denial or
subsequent revocation or limitation of such designation shall be based on the ability of the hospital to comply with the operational
and staffing requirements prescribed for medical command facilities by the Division of Public Health. In making decisions
pursuant to this paragraph, the Office shall seek the advice of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline;
(6) Assure that training and continuing education opportunities required for paramedic certification are reasonably accessible
from a geographic standpoint.
(b) A "memorandum of agreement" shall be established between the Office of Emergency Medical Services, of the Division of
Public Health, Delaware State Police, State Fire Prevention Commission, Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline and any
other agency serving as a component to the emergency medical services system in compliance with their respective agency's
statutory provisions. To foster continuity and program coordination, the Office shall enforce each such memorandum of agreement.
(c) In order to provide statewide paramedic services, the counties shall provide the following minimum number of paramedic
staff hours: 122,640 paramedic staff hours per year for New Castle County; 52,560 paramedic staff hours per year for Kent
County; and 87,600 paramedic staff hours per year for Sussex County. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services shall have the authority, subject to appropriation, to increase the minimum number of paramedic staff hours to ensure
the efficient and effective operation of the statewide paramedic services program. At any time after enactment into law, following
submission of an application by New Castle County subject to approval by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social
Services, the paramedic staff hours for New Castle County shall increase by 17,520 paramedic staff hours per year until January
1, 2001, at which time it shall increase by an additional 17,520 paramedic staff hours.
(d) Each operating paramedic unit should be continuously staffed by 2 paramedics. Notwithstanding this requirement, the Board
of Medical Licensure and Discipline, following review and approval by the State EMS Medical Director and ALS Standards Committee,
shall have the authority to grant approval to the county paramedic services to conduct pilot programs utilizing other staff
configurations including but not limited to the number and type of staff on each operating ALS unit.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 147, § 24; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 4; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, §§ 1, 2; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 16, 30; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9804. Paramedic Advisory Council.
Repealed by 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 3, eff. July 12, 1999.
§ 9805. Paramedic Administrator.
The Paramedic Administrator shall be employed within the Office of Emergency Medical Services responsible directly to the
Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The Paramedic Administrator shall be a state employee within the Merit
System and shall be responsible for the following:
(1) Hiring sufficient personnel to provide staff and clerical support for the office;
(2) Verifying certification from the Board for each paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor;
(3) Administering and coordinating all activities of the program including periodic inspections;
(4) Developing appropriate uniforms as required;
(5) Developing and negotiating contracts with county paramedic services;
(6) Developing annual budgets;
(7) Procuring the necessary equipment to carry out the requirements of this legislation and following the current state bidding
and procurement policies for equipment; i.e., vehicles, communication equipment, medical equipment and uniforms as required;
(8) Develop rules governing the operation of programs that provide paramedical instruction to ensure compliance with the ALS
Standards of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(9) Providing reports of activities as required by the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services; and
(10) Monitoring paramedic staff hours in each county.
(11) Have the authority to suspend a paramedic from patient treatment or to permit limited practice for the duration of an
investigation of the paramedic by the Division of Professional Regulation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, §§ 5, 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 3; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 17; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 2; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9806. EMS medical directors.
(a) There shall be 5 part time EMS Medical Directors: 1 State EMS Medical Director, 3 county EMS medical directors and 1 Basic
Life Support EMS Director. Each county EMS medical director shall practice emergency medicine in the county in which the county
director serves as a director, unless otherwise approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The State EMS Medical
Director shall supervise all EMS Medical Directors. The Basic Life Support EMS Medical Director shall serve as an advisor
for basic life support to the State Fire Prevention Commission. An EMS Medical Director shall be available at all times to
advise supervising physicians, EMS providers and EMS provider agencies.
(b) As part of their responsibilities, the EMS medical directors shall:
(1) Provide medical oversight and prospective, concurrent and retrospective medical quality control of advanced life support,
basic life support and emergency medical dispatch;
(2) Establish and ensure compliance with standing orders and treatment protocols;
(3) Provide review and evaluate the medical interventions of the EMS providers;
(4) Coordinate with and advise the Office of EMS, State Fire Prevention Commission and provider agencies of any deficiencies
within the system with suggested remedies;
(5) Monitor the EMS providers for skill degradation and recommend appropriate remedies to the Office of EMS, the State Fire
Prevention Commission and the provider agencies;
(6) Offer technical assistance to all EMS providers and assist in the provision of patient care while functioning as an EMS
Medical Director; and
(7) Have authority to suspend EMS providers immediately from patient treatment for a period not to exceed 30 days, if they
determine that it is necessary in order to prevent a clear and immediate danger to the public health.
(c) Each EMS medical director shall be employed by the State, by contract or otherwise, and shall be a board certified emergency
physician actually involved in the practice of emergency medicine.
(d) The EMS medical directors shall be appointed by the Director of the Division of Public Health who shall consult with the
Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline as part of the selection process.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 9; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 341, § 2; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 4; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 19; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 3; 74 Del. Laws, c. 101, §§ 1-4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9807. Paramedics.
(a) A paramedic may provide such paramedic services as are set forth in the paramedic's certificate if such services are provided
under the supervision of a physician, or in any context where voice contact by radio or telephone is monitored by a physician;
and such paramedic may provide advanced life support where authorized to do so by a physician.
(b) If direct voice communication between a physician and a paramedic fails or is technically impossible, the paramedic may
perform any emergency medical service for which the paramedic is certified, in compliance with treatment protocols set forth
by the Board, when the life of the patient is in immediate danger and requires such care for its preservation.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 9808. Role of county governments.
(a) Each county shall participate in the operation and funding of the statewide paramedic services program, and shall provide
the Office with all necessary information requested by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in the
time frames and in the format prescribed.
(b) Any paramedic employed by a county or its subcontractor must be certified by the Administrator and the State Paramedic
Medical Director in accordance with the standards of the Board. Direct initial training costs shall be paid partially at state
expense, based on the results of an annual needs assessment conducted by the Office.
(c) The counties shall be bound by the rules, regulations, requirements and procedures established pursuant to this chapter.
(d) The authority to select, discipline and terminate a paramedic or any administrative staff authorized as a shared expense
shall reside with the county or its subcontractor, except that suspension or revocation of an EMT-P certification for reasons
covered by § 9811 of this title shall be conducted in accordance with this chapter.
(e) A county may choose to operate its own paramedic service using regular county employees entirely, or it may contract portions
of its service to other governmental entities.
(f) If a county elects in the design of its paramedic service to exceed the training standards, minimum number of paramedic
staff hours, or otherwise exceed the requirements established in accordance with this chapter, the county shall be 100% liable
for any additional cost. At a minimum, a county shall deploy the number of paramedics and paramedic units determined to be
necessary to meet the operational requirements of this chapter.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 5; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, §§ 29, 31; 77 Del. Laws, c. 84, § 178.;
§ 9809. Certification.
(a) No individual shall represent that individual's own self as a paramedic certified by this State unless the person so represented
is in fact certified by the Board.
(b) No person nor governmental agency shall represent itself as a paramedic service, emergency medical service, or similar
type of service certified by this State unless such person or governmental agency is in fact certified by the Department.
(c) No person shall provide, offer nor advertise to provide advanced life support services outside a hospital, unless so authorized
by law.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any paramedic who has been certified by the Board of Medical Licensure
and Discipline prior to the effective date of this chapter shall automatically be certified under this chapter, and shall
be deemed to have complied with all the requirements of this chapter.
(e) Pending formal approval of paramedic certification by the Board, the executive director of the Board may issue a temporary
certification to a paramedic whose application establishes to the satisfaction of the executive director that the applicant
has met all requirements and standards for certification. Such temporary certification shall be valid for not greater than
90 days.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 369, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 4; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9809A. Criminal background checks.
(a) A person seeking certification as an emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P) shall apply to the Board using forms
prescribed by the Board and shall submit to the State Office of Emergency Medical Services fingerprints and other necessary
information in order to obtain the following:
(1) A report of the individual's entire criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification or a statement from
the State Bureau of Identification that the State Bureau of Identification Central Repository contains no such information
relating to that person.
(2) A report of the individual's entire federal criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The State
Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary for the purposes of this section and the Office shall be the screening
point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records.
(b) Upon receipt of fingerprints and other necessary information pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Office shall
acquire and review the state and federal criminal history records for the applicant and may interview the applicant. If the
Office determines that the applicant meets the requirements of this section and of its regulations, it shall issue a binding
recommendation to the Board regarding the certification of the applicant, subject to the following provisions:
(1) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes:
a. A felony involving sexual misconduct where the victim's failure to affirmatively consent is an element of the crime, such
as forcible rape;
b. A felony involving the sexual or physical abuse of a child or of an elderly or infirm person, such as sexual misconduct
with a child, sexual exploitation of a child, making or distributing child pornography, incest involving a child, or assault
on an elderly or infirm person;
c. A crime in which the victim is an out-of-hospital patient or a patient or resident of a health care facility, including
abuse, neglect or theft from or financial exploitation of a person entrusted to the care or protection of the applicant.
(2) The Office must recommend denial of, and the Board must deny, certification to an applicant convicted of the following
crimes, except in extraordinary circumstances:
a. Any crime for which the applicant is currently incarcerated, on work release, on probation, or on parole;
b. A crime in the following categories, unless at least 5 years have passed since the applicant's conviction or at least 5
years have passed since the applicant was released from custodial confinement, whichever occurs later:
1. A serious crime of violence against a person, such as assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, murder or attempted
murder, manslaughter (other than involuntary manslaughter), kidnapping, robbery of any degree, or arson;
2. A crime involving a controlled substance or designer drug, including unlawful possession or distribution of, or intent
to unlawfully possess or distribute, a controlled substance in Schedules I through V of the Uniform Controlled Substances
Act of Chapter 47 of this title;
3. A serious crime involving property, such as arson, burglary, embezzlement or insurance fraud;
4. Any crime involving sexual misconduct.
(3) In extraordinary circumstances, certification granted pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection may be granted only
if the applicant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that certification will not jeopardize public health and safety.
The Office shall determine and advise the Board:
a. If extraordinary circumstances exist allowing certification pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection; and
b. If the applicant has established by clear and convincing evidence that such certification will not jeopardize public health
and safety.
(c) Certificates issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period as determined by the Board and may be renewed
after reconsideration, which may include an interview, if the holder meets the requirements set forth in the regulations of
the Board. The Board may decertify any EMT-P at any time it determines that the person no longer meets the qualifications
prescribed for certification.
(d) Information obtained pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is confidential and shall not be disclosed under any circumstances
except:
(1) The State Bureau of Identification may release any subsequent criminal history to the Office of Emergency Medical Services
or the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline when properly requested; and
(2) All information that has been forwarded to the Office pursuant to this section shall be reviewed with the person seeking
certification pursuant to this section upon the person's request.
(e) Costs associated with obtaining criminal history information pursuant to this section from the State Bureau of Identification
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be borne by the applicant.
(f)(1) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P through the New Castle County paramedic service is exempted from the provisions
of subsections (a) and (b) of this section; provided, however, that the criminal history background check and review procedures
employed by the New Castle County paramedic service are found to be at least as restrictive as those contained in this section.
For the purposes of any criminal history background check or review conducted pursuant to regulations promulgated pursuant
to this subsection, the State Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary and the New Castle County Department of Police
Paramedic Service shall be the screening point for the receipt of said federal criminal history records. The New Castle County
Department of Police may designate any or all of the other divisions or offices therein as a screening point for the receipt
of said federal criminal history records.
(2) A person seeking certification as an EMT-P who is presently employed as a law enforcement officer in this State and who
was subject to a review of the person's own entire criminal history background at the time the person began employment as
a law enforcement officer in this State is exempted from the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section if, at
the time of the prior criminal history background check, no items described in subdivision (b)(1) of this section appeared
as part of the person's criminal history background.
(g) A person seeking certification pursuant to this section who knowingly provides false, incomplete or inaccurate criminal
history information, or who otherwise knowingly violates the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a class G felony
and shall be punished according to Chapter 42 of Title 11.
73 Del. Laws, c. 176, § 6[7]; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9810. Reciprocity.
Where a person applies for a certification as a paramedic and has already been licensed or certified as such in another state,
the Administrator shall accept a true copy of such license or certificate, or evidence of any examination scores issued by
a testing service or professional paramedic association, which shows that the applicant has met requirements in the previous
state which are equal to those required in this State; such applicant shall be required to meet such written and practical
examinations as determined by the medical directors; and the Board shall certify such person to be a paramedic in the State.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9811. Violations; disciplinary procedure.
(a) The Administrator may at any time upon the Administrator's own motion; and shall, upon verified written complaint of any
person, request an investigation be conducted by the Executive Director of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline to
determine whether or not there are grounds to recommend suspension, revocation or any other penalty upon a person certified
under the provisions of this chapter. The Administrator shall recommend to the Board to suspend or revoke any certificate
if after a hearing it is found that the holder thereof has:
(1) Obtained such certificate by means of fraud or deceit;
(2) Demonstrated gross negligence, or has proven otherwise to be grossly incompetent; or
(3) Violated or aided or abetted in the violation of any provision of this chapter.
(b) If a paramedic's physical or mental capacity to safely perform the paramedic's duties and responsibilities is at issue,
the County may order such paramedic to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination. Failure to comply with this
order shall render such paramedic liable to suspension or revocation of the paramedic's certificate.
(c) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a member of the public from filing a complaint directly with the Board of Medical
Licensure and Discipline. Upon receipt of a complaint by the Division of Professional Regulations, the Administrator shall
be notified in the interest of public safety.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, §§ 5-8; 77 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 1.;
§ 9812. Suspension, revocation and other penalties.
(a) For purpose of the public health, safety and welfare, and notwithstanding any other statute or provision of law, the Administrator
may recommend to a county or the Board that any of the following penalties, singly or in combination, be imposed:
(1) That a letter of reprimand be issued;
(2) That a paramedic be placed on probationary status with limited responsibilities and be required to:
a. Regularly report to the county upon the matters which are the basis of the probation;
b. Limit all paramedical activities to those areas specifically recommended by the Administrator; and/or
c. Take either remedial or continuing education until the required degree of skill has been attained in those areas which
are the basis of the probation;
(3) That a paramedic's certification be suspended; or
(4) That a paramedic's certification be revoked.
(b) No penalties shall be imposed upon a paramedic's certification without provisions for a hearing. Hearings shall be established
in accordance with the provisions of the Medical Practices Act, Chapter 17 of Title 24.
(c) and (d). [Deleted.]
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6; 73 Del. Laws, c. 368, § 9.;
§ 9813. Liability; limitations.
(a) Physician instructions. -- No emergency physician or designee of such physician who in good faith gives instructions to
a paramedic shall be liable for any civil damages which may occur as the result of issuing such instructions; unless the conduct
of the physician or the designee of such physician in issuing such instructions rises to the level of willful and wanton,
reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(b) Paramedics. -- No paramedic who in good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care authorized by this
chapter shall be liable for any civil damages which occur as a result of any act or omission of the paramedic in the rendering
of such care; unless such paramedic is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(c) Educational programs. -- No university, college, medical facility or other entity participating as part of an educational
program, nor any faculty member of any such entity, nor any student of such entity who is enrolled in a course of instruction
approved by the Administrator, shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of any primary or continuing educational
practice conducted under proper supervision, unless such university, college or other entity or faculty member or student
is guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
(d) Health facilities. -- No health facility which assists a physician in giving instructions to a paramedic in accordance
with this chapter shall be liable for any civil damages as the result of such instructions, unless such health facility is
guilty of wilful and wanton, reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § 6.;
§ 9814. Statewide paramedic funding program.
(a) The statewide paramedic funding program is hereby established for the purpose of participating with the counties in the
financing of the statewide paramedic program.
(b) The operational costs of the minmum paramedic staff hours established for each county in § 9803(c) of this title shall
be shared by the State and county with the State providing 30 percent of the cost and the county providing 70 percent beginning
in Fiscal Year 2010.
(c) A county will not be eligible for its 30 percent state share until such time as the rules, regulations, procedures, protocols
and approvals required by this chapter have been completed or July 1, 1990, whichever is later. The date of approval by the
Department of a county program shall be the starting date in terms of eligibility for state share funding. No county programs
will be funded retroactively and the Department shall not unreasonably withhold or delay any approval. The Secretary shall
not encumber any of the state funds applied for by a county until such county has appropriated its proportional share of funding.
(d) The General Assembly shall appropriate annually an amount sufficient to reimburse 30 percent of approved costs of the
statewide paramedic program; this appropriation shall be made in the annual Grants-In-Aid Act and shall be appropriated to
the Office of Emergency Medical Services, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services, which shall
serve as the State's fiscal agent for distributing the funds in accordance with this chapter to counties that operate approved
programs. The appropriation in the Grants-In-Aid Act of the state share of the paramedic funding program shall not be subject
to the limitation in § 6533(f) of Title 29.
(e) Funds distributed to a county for the purpose of supporting a county component of the statewide paramedic system may be
used for direct operating costs or as debt service and financing for bond issuance for that purpose. For those capital projects
with a total cost greater than $200,000, the State shall reimburse on a debt service basis. In no instance shall reimbursement
include the cost of indirect services provided by the county.
(f) The Office shall promulgate regulations for the distribution of the funds appropriated pursuant to this chapter to the
counties that provide for reimbursement on a quarterly basis.
(g) Funds appropriated pursuant to this section may not be used to fund basic life support services. To the extent that a
county or its subcontractor operates integrated advanced and basic life support services, the Office shall devise a methodology
to separate costs and shall provide reimbursement accordingly.
(h) The Office shall report on the applications, expenditures, and uses of the statewide paramedic funding program annually
as part of the budgetary process of the Department.
(i) The Delaware Paramedic Budget Review package shall be submitted by the counties to the Paramedic Administrator by September
1 of each year. Such request shall include, but not be limited to, a detailed plan of expenditure for each county's approved
paramedic program for the subsequent fiscal year. The Paramedic Administrator shall forward copies of the counties' requests,
along with the Department's funding recommendation to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget by November 1.
(j) The Office shall distribute, by contract or otherwise, all state funds used for paramedic training programs.
67 Del. Laws, c. 153, § 1; 68 Del. Laws, c. 290, § 124; 68 Del. Laws, c. 292, § 19; 69 Del. Laws, c. 64, § 144; 70 Del. Laws, c. 192, § 10; 71 Del. Laws, c. 169, § 21; 71 Del. Laws, c. 300, § 6; 72 Del. Laws, c. 137, § 18; 74 Del. Laws, c. 111, § 31; 74 Del. Laws, c. 309, §§ 28-30; 75 Del. Laws, c. 88, § 21(8); 75 Del. Laws, c. 352, § 29(a); 76 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 29.;
