Section 1023.26. Advanced emergency medical technician

(a) Roles and responsibilities. An AEMT performs basic and advanced EMS skills which include interventions and administration of medications and vaccines with basic and advanced equipment found on an EMS vehicle or within an AEMT’s scope of practice, as follows:

(1) For an EMS agency as a member of the crew of an ambulance or squad vehicle.

(2) For an EMS agency as a member of a QRS to stabilize and improve a patient’s condition in an out-of-hospital setting until an ambulance arrives. The AEMT may then assist the ambulance crew.

(3) As a member of a special operations EMS service.

(4) As a first aid or safety officer, or in a similar capacity, for or independent of an EMS agency. When serving in this capacity independent of an EMS agency, an AEMT does not function under the direction of an EMS agency medical director or a medical command physician. The AEMT shall perform skills as prescribed by applicable Statewide and regional EMS protocols and may not perform the following:

(i) Skills other than those permitted at the EMT level of care.

(ii) A skill for which the EMT is required to secure medical command direction under those protocols.

(b) Certification.

(1) The Department will certify as an AEMT an individual who meets the following qualifications:

(i) Completes an application for AEMT certification on a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department.

(ii) Is 18 years of age or older.

(iii) Has successfully completed one of the following:

(A) An EMS provider educational course for AEMTs.

(B) An EMS provider educational course for EMTs and education, through continuing education courses, in skills required in the scope of practice of an AEMT for which the applicant did not receive education in the EMT course.

(iv) Has a current certificate evidencing successful completion of a CPR course acceptable to the Department.

(v) Has passed a written examination for AEMT certification prescribed by the Department.

(vi) Has passed a practical test of AEMT skills for AEMT certification prescribed by the Department.

(2) The Department will also certify as an AEMT an individual who completes an application on a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department and who applies for AEMT certification under § 1023.21(g) (relating to general rights and responsibilities).

(c) Biennial registration.

(1) When an AEMT certification is issued it is deemed registered through December 31 of that year if it is issued in an odd-numbered year, or through December 31 of the next odd-numbered year if it is issued in an even-numbered year. Thereafter, an AEMT shall biennially register the certification by completing a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed by the Department. An AEMT shall submit the form or complete the electronic process at least 30 days prior to the expiration of a current registration. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in the AEMT certification not being registered again before the prior registration expires. The Department will issue a new registration within 30 days after the AEMT completes the form or the electronic process if the information provided establishes that the AEMT has successfully completed one of the following:

(i) The AEMT practical skills and written knowledge biennial registration examinations prescribed by the Department.

(ii) The continuing education requirements for biennial registration of an AEMT certification in § 1023.31(d) (relating to continuing education requirements).

(2) An AEMT who is a member of the armed forces who is returning from active military service and whose AEMT registration has expired or will expire within 12 months after returning from active military service may secure an exception to the biennial registration requirements under § 1023.21(d).

(d) Scope of practice.

(1) An AEMT’s scope of practice incorporates the scope of practice of an EMT and additional skills in the following skill areas, as published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, if the AEMT has been educated to perform the following skills:

(i) Airway/ventilation/oxygenation.

(ii) Cardiovascular circulation.

(iii) Immobilization.

(iv) Medication administration—routes.

(v) IV initiation/maintenance fluids.

(2) An AEMT’s scope of practice may be expanded to include ALS skills in other skill areas as the Department publishes in a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. An AEMT may not perform those additional skills unless the AEMT has received education to perform those skills and is able to document having received the education in one of the following:

(i) A course approved by the Department that covers the complete curriculum for an AEMT.

(ii) A course which is determined by the Department to meet or exceed the standards of a course approved by the Department under subparagraph (i).

(iii) A course for which an AEMT may receive continuing education credit towards biennial registration of the AEMT certification.

(3) The Department will publish in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, at least biennially, a list of the skills the Department has approved as being within the scope of practice of an AEMT.

The provisions of this § 1023.26 adopted October 11, 2013, effective April 10, 2014, 43 Pa.B. 6093.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 1023.31 (relating to continuing education requirements).