LEGISLATIVE REPORT

S. B. No. 43  modifies the ambulance staffing and personnel certification requirements for emergency medical service organizations. Will allow a person who is only going to work as a volunteer to be issued an E.M.T. certification without taking the written exam.  Also, if an emergency run occurs during a period of time in which the organization is using only volunteers to staff the ambulance,  the ambulance shall  being staffed at any  time a patient is being transported in the ambulance by at least one first responder and at least one EMT- B, EMT –I, or EMT –P.  When so staffed, any person 18 years of age or older, with a current state issued driver’s license, may drive the ambulance.   HHA  committee

Sub H. B. No. 212 a person who drives an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services, is not required  to be certified as an emergency medical technician-basic, emergency medical technician-intermediate, or emergency medical technician-paramedic.  During an emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services and is being operated by an emergency medical service organization that does not substantially utilize volunteer emergency medical service providers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics When an ambulance is so staffed, it may be driven by a person who is not certified as an EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic.

 During an emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services and is operated by an emergency medical service organization that substantially utilizes volunteer emergency medical service providers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least  one first responder and one EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic. When an ambulance is so staffed, it may be driven by a person who is not certified as  a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic. If circumstances so require, an ambulance that is staffed by only one first responder and one EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic may be driven by the first responder who is staffing the ambulance with the EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic.

An emergency medical service organization substantially utilizes volunteer emergency medical service providers if the organization uses only volunteer first responders, volunteer EMTs-basic, volunteer EMTs-I, or volunteer paramedics, or a combination of such volunteers, for fifty per cent or more of the time during any seven-day period in which the organization makes emergency medical services available to the public.

No emergency medical service organization shall permit an individual who is younger than eighteen years of age to drive an ambulance.   House Infrastructure, Homeland Security & Veterans Affairs  - IHSA Committee 

At the OAEMS general membership meeting, held in October,2007, the membership voted not to support this bill as it was then written..   

 HB 171 - the Ohio EMS board may suspend or revoke a certificate of accreditation or approval if the holder has been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude (this is currently law)  or a criminal offense that is substantially related to the practice of EMS.  CL committee

HB 183 -  Increases the penalty for assault to a felony of the fourth degree when the victim is a  healthcare worker.  CRJ committee