Massachusetts first responder training

105 CMR: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

105 CMR 171.000: MASSACHUSETTS FIRST RESPONDER TRAINING

Section

171.010: Purpose 171.020: Authority 171.030: Citation 171.040: Scope and Application 171.050: Definitions 171.100: Initial Training Deadlines 171.120: Refresher Training Deadlines 171.130: Initial and Refresher Training in First Aid 171.150: Initial and Refresher Training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation 171.165: Approval of Programs for Training First Responders in Administration of Medications as Approved by the Department 171.200: Maintenance of Records 171.210: Contents of Records 171.220: Records Issued to the First Responder by the First Responder Agency 171.223: Appointment of Designated Infection Control Officer 171.225: Documentation Required for Optional Use of Automatic/Semi-automatic Defibrillation 171.227: Documentation Required for Optional Administration of Medications Approved by the Department 171.230: Severability

171.010: Purpose

.000 is set forth for the purpose of interpreting and implementing M.G.L. c. 111, § 201, which confers on the Department of Public Health the responsibility for establishing training standards in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, for certain police officers, fire fighters and lifeguards, hereinafter referred to as 'first responders'.

171.020: Authority

.000 is adopted under the authority of M.G.L. c. 111, §§ 3 and 201.

171.030: Citation

.000 shall be known as .000: Massachusetts First Responder Training.

171.040: Scope and Application

.000 applies to first responders, who are required to be trained to administer first aid under M.G.L. c. 111, § 201 and are not certified and working as EMS first responders (EFRs). The training, certification and scope of practice of EFRs, and the licensure and responsibilities of the EMS first response (EFR) services with whom they work, are governed by 105 CMR 170.000.

171.050: Definitions

The following terms used in .000 shall be defined as follows, unless the context or subject matter requires a different interpretation:

Administrative Requirements (AR) means requirements issued by the Department’s Office of Emergency Medical Services to interpret, clarify and further define the application of certain provisions of .000.

Clerical and Administrative Duties are those duties that relate to the internal operation of the first responder agency and which do not involve contact with the general public either directly or by telephone or radio communications. Persons with clerical or administrative duties would not be expected to render emergency medical assistance or advice or direction.

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105 CMR: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

171.050: continued

Department means the Department of Public Health established pursuant to M.G.L. c. 17.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) means a person who has successfully completed a full course in emergency medical care approved by the Department and who is certified by the Department in accordance with .000 to provide emergency medical services to sick or injured persons in accordance with the Statewide Treatment Protocols. The term EMT shall include EMT-Basic, Advanced EMT and Paramedic.

First Responder means a member of any of the following entities: a police or fire department; state police participating in highway patrol; an emergency reserve unit of a volunteer fire department or fire protection district, and persons appointed permanent or temporary lifeguards by the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions. A first responder shall not mean a police officer, firefighter or person engaged in police and fire work whose duties are primarily clerical or administrative.

First Responder Agency means a police department, a fire department, the state police participating in highway patrol, an emergency reserve unit of a volunteer fire department or fire protection district, or the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisons that appoints permanent or temporary lifeguards. A first responder agency shall not mean a service that is a licensed EFR service, as defined in .020.

National EMS Education Standards means the current U.S. Department of Transportation's National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards.

Patient Care Report means a report generated by all services to document every response to an EMS call, including each time an EMS vehicle or first responder agency vehicle is dispatched, whether or not a patient is encountered or ultimately transported by an ambulance service.

Primary Instructor means a person who is responsible for conducting a training program designed to meet the minimum standards set forth in administrative requirements established by the Department and who has met the basic instructor qualifications set forth in the Department’s administrative requirements. This term does not include instructors for courses listed in .130(B).

Statewide Treatment Protocols means the Emergency Medical Services Pre-hospital Treatment Protocols approved by the Department for application statewide.

171.100: Initial Training Deadlines

Each first responder shall satisfactorily complete initial training in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as soon as practical, but in no event more than one year after the date on which he or she became first responder; except that lifeguards shall satisfactorily complete initial training in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, within 15 days after the lifeguard's first day of employment.

171.120: Refresher Training Deadlines

(A) Each first responder shall satisfactorily complete a refresher course in first aid, other than cardiopulmonary resuscitation, every three years after initial training in first aid.

(B) Each first responder shall satisfactorily complete a refresher course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation every two years after initial cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.

171.130: Initial and Refresher Training in First Aid

Initial and refresher training in first aid, other than cardiopulmonary resuscitation, shall mean satisfactory completion of one of the following:

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171.130: continued

(A) A training course that meets the minimum standards for Department-approved first responder training in first aid, meeting the minimum requirements as specified in administrative requirements established by the Department.

(B) Any course which has received prior approval by the Department as at least equivalent in scope and quality to .130(A), such as: (1) an emergency medical technician training course approved by the Department pursuant to .000; and (2) a course meeting the National EMS Education Standards at the emergency medical responder level; or (3) in the case of lifeguards only, a standard first aid course or an equivalent training course as determined by the Department.

171.150: Initial and Refresher Training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Initial and refresher training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall mean, at a minimum, successful completion of a course provided by a nationally recognized organization and reflecting current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiac care resuscitation science and treatment recommendations issued by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)'s International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR) or successor body, as documented by a current training certificate, renewed biennially, in Basic Cardiac Life Support health care professional CPR. CPR training must be obtained through an instructor-led program or blended learning experience with an in-person hands-on skills evaluation, and must include a cognitive examination.

171.165: Approval of Programs for Training First Responders in Administration of Medications as Approved by the Department

The Department shall approve training programs for first responders in the administration of medications as approved by the Department in accordance with 105 CMR 700.003(D), and in compliance with the Statewide Treatment Protocols, that meet the following requirements:

(A) Such program's medical director has approved the specific training program; and

(B) The training program meets the minimum standards established by the Department as administrative requirements.

171.200: Maintenance of Records

Each first responder agency shall maintain current, accurate records, in electronic or print format, documenting first aid training, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, for each first responder. Such records shall be maintained at the main office of the first responder agency and shall be available for inspection by the Department. Records shall be kept for a period of not less than seven years after completion of the training program and shall be stored in such a manner as to ensure reasonable safety from water and fire damage and unauthorized use.

171.210: Contents of Records

The following records shall be maintained for each first responder:

(A) For training that complies with .130(A), an outline of the training program, including course contents, the location, date and name of the course, attendance and examination records, and documentation of the qualifications of the primary instructor, or

(B) For training that complies with .130(A) or (B), a copy of current certification or other documentation of successful completion of training; and

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171.210: continued

(C) A copy of a current training certificate documenting successful completion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, as required by .150.

171.220: Records Issued to the First Responder by the First Responder Agency

Each first responder agency shall issue to each first responder a, card or other record documenting successful completion of initial and refresher training programs. The card or other record shall include the location, date and name of the course taken and shall be signed by the primary instructor. A current training card documenting successful completion of initial or refresher training required by .130, or, only in the case of lifeguards, standard first aid or equivalent first aid training card. or current certification as an EMT shall be deemed equivalent and will be acceptable under .220.

171.223 Appointment of Designated Infection Control Officer

For the purpose of receiving notifications and responses from health care facilities regarding unprotected exposures to infectious diseases dangerous to the public health, as defined in 105CMR 172.001, reporting said exposures to first responders, and making requests on behalf of first responders, each first responder agency shall appoint one officer of the agency to act as a designated infection control officer. Each agency shall ensure that its first responders are informed of the requirements relating to the reporting of exposures to the infectious diseases set forth in 105 CMR 172.000: Reporting of Unprotected Exposures to Infectious Diseases Dangerous to the Public Health.

171.225: Documentation Required for Use of Automatic/Semi-automatic DefIbrillation

First responder agencies shall maintain a memorandum of agreement with a hospital or a consortium of hospitals, to provide medical control for their first responders. The agreement shall identify a medical director to assume responsibility for all aspects of medical control of the program. Medial control shall include:

(A) The review of all uses of automatic/semi-a~toma.tic defibrillators by first responders;

(B) The maintenance of a systemwide database of cardiac arrest patient care reports filed by first responders with participating services, and the submission of summary reports to the Department upon request; and

(C) The establishment of policies: (1) to ensure that first responders complete the manufacturer's training in use of the automatic/semiautomatic defibrillator; (2) for proper preventive maintenance schedules of automatic/semi-automatic defibrillator equipment; and (3) to ensure that patient care reports are submitted to the medical director and hospitals to which patients are transported.

171.227: Documentation Required for OptionalAdministration of Medications Approved by the Department

Any first responder agency that chooses to carry and administer medications approved by the Department, in accordance with 105 CMR 700.003(D), shall maintain a current memorandum of agreement with a hospital or medical director to provide medical control for their first responders. The agreement shall identify a medical director to assume responsibility for all aspects of the medical control of the program. The memorandum of agreement in each case shall address acquisition and replacement of the medications, quality assurance, Statewide Treatment Protocol compliance, training, record keeping, shelf life of the medication and proper storage and disposal conditions.

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171.230: Severability

The provisions of .000 are severable. If any provision shall be determined invalid by any court, such provision shall be null and void and such determination shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

.000: M.G.L. c. 111, § 201.

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