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For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT. Out-of-hospital care that uses invasive medical acts (as defined in Tex. Health and Safety Code § 773.003(1).
AEROMEDICAL TRANSPORTATION UNIT. Any rotary or fixed wing aircraft providing basic or advanced life support services and patient transportation that originates within the service area.
AMBULANCE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT. A written agreement between the authority and one or more entities whereby the signing parties agree to provide backup ambulance service to one another under the terms and conditions specified in the agreement.
AMBULANCE SERVICE. The transportation of patients by emergency or non-emergency ambulance.
ASSOCIATE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. A licensed physician who assists the medical director in carrying out his or her duties under this chapter and the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement.
AUTHORITY (METROPOLITAN AREA EMS AUTHORITY). The public administrative agency established to administer and operate the medical transportation and prehospital emergency medical services system and the program for MIH (as hereinafter defined) established by this chapter.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT. Out-of-hospital care that uses noninvasive medical acts (as defined in § 773.003(2), Tex. Health and Safety Code).
BOARD. The board of directors of the authority.
EMERGENCY CARE ATTENDANT. A person certified as an "emergency care attendant" under § 773.046 of the Tex. Health and Safety Code.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT). A person certified as an "emergency medical technician" under § 773.047 or an "advanced emergency medical technician" under § 773.048 of the Tex. Health and Safety Code, and any other class of EMT recognized by state law or regulation.
EMS COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. The facility designated by the authority as the central communications center from which all services offered by the authority shall be dispatched and controlled.
FIRST RESPONDER. Any agency that provides first response to requests for emergency medical services and, in cooperation with the ambulance service, provides immediate on-scene care to ill or injured persons but does not transport those persons to healthcare facilities.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR. The licensed physician retained through a contract with or employed by the board who is responsible for carrying out his or her duties under this chapter and the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and for directing the office of the medical director.
MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION. The transportation of patients by ambulance, specialized mobile intensive care unit, specialty care transport, or aeromedical transportation unit, including both emergency and non-emergency transports, where such transportation originates within the service area.
MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE (MIH). Services provided by the authority that are designed to enhance, coordinate, effectively manage, and integrate out of hospital care, in order to improve outcomes, enhance the client's experience of care, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services provided to the enrolled clients.
OFFICE OF MEDICAL DIRECTOR. The clinical office of the authority through which the medical director carries out his/her rights and duties under this chapter and the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement. The office of the medical director is comprised of the medical director, and any associate medical directors, and the employees of the authority in the office of the medical director to assist the medical directors in carrying out the medical director's rights and duties under this chapter and the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement.
PARAMEDIC. A person qualified as a certified or licensed "paramedic" as defined by Tex. Health and Safety Code §§ 773.049 and 773.0495.
PATIENT. An individual who is ill, sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated, and in need of or at risk of needing medical care at the scene of a medical emergency or during transport to or from a healthcare facility.
PERSON. Any individual, firm, association, partnership, corporation, governmental entity, or other group, or a combination of the same acting as a unit.
RESTATED AND AMENDED INTERLOCAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. The interlocal contract, as it may be amended from time to time, adopted by this jurisdiction concurrently with the passage of this chapter pursuant to Chapter 791 of the Tex. Government Code (the Interlocal Cooperation Act).
SERVICE AREA. That geographical area which is contained within the boundaries of all the jurisdictions which become members of the Authority by adopting this Uniform EMS Ordinance and executing the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement.
SPECIAL EVENT. Any public event located within the service area for which standby ambulance service is arranged in advance, and for which an ambulance is hired by the sponsor of the event or other interested party.
SPECIALTY CARE TRANSPORT. The transportation of a critically injured or ill patient at a level of service beyond the scope of the EMT-Paramedic when the patient's condition requires ongoing care that must be furnished by one or more health professionals in an appropriate specialty area; for example, emergency or critical care nursing, emergency medicine, respiratory care, cardiovascular care, or a paramedic with additional training.
SPECIALIZED MOBILE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. A vehicle which is specially constructed, equipped, staffed, and employed in the inter-facility transport of patients whose requirements for en route medical support are likely to exceed the clinical capabilities of an advanced life support ambulance.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
(a) There is hereby created an Emergency Physicians Advisory Board ("EPAB") which shall, on behalf of this jurisdiction, provide independent medical oversight for and advise and inform the authority on all clinical aspects of medical transportation, the Authority's MIH program, and prehospital emergency medical services in this Jurisdiction, including such services provided by the authority and first responders, and shall exercise independent professional judgment in all matters related to patient care.
(b) EPAB's membership and other matters relating to EPAB shall be set forth in the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and in the Bylaws adopted by EPAB.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
By adopting this chapter and executing and approving the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement, this jurisdiction has joined the authority, which shall now be known as the metropolitan area EMS authority.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
The authority shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) The authority is hereby designated as the sole provider of ambulance service and special event ambulance standby service within this jurisdiction, whether directly or indirectly through contractors, pursuant to the terms, conditions and provisions of the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement, except for those services exempted by § 5-31(b).
(b) The authority shall comply with all terms of the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and have all the powers and duties enumerated therein.
(c) The authority is required to provide this jurisdiction with basic and advanced life support ambulance service in accordance with system performance standards and all applicable law, rules and regulations, as well as all patient care standards that the medical director may from time to time promulgate;
(d) The authority is authorized to operate an MIH program on a non-exclusive basis in this jurisdiction.
(e) The authority shall enter into a first responder agreement with this jurisdiction and may issue, suspend, revoke, and renew permits for the delivery of first responder services in this jurisdiction by other agencies, subject to the credentialing process by the medical director and subject to rights of appeal to the board.
(f) The authority shall adopt standards approved by the medical director governing the operation of specialized mobile intensive care units and for specialty care transport within the service area, including standards limiting the types of patients which may be transported thereby, and, subject to the credentialing process by the office of the medical director, may issue, suspend, revoke, and renew permits for the operation of such units as required by this chapter.
(h) The authority shall adopt standards approved by the medical director governing the operation of aeromedical transportation units within the service area, including standards defining the circumstances under which such units may be deployed to emergency scenes and, subject to the credentialing process by the office of the medical director, may issue, suspend, revoke, and renew permits for the operation of such units as required by this chapter.
(i) The authority shall adopt standards approved by the medical director governing the provision of special event ambulance standby service within the service area, and, subject to the credentialing process by the medical director, may issue, suspend, revoke, and renew permits for the provision of such ambulance standby service; provided, however, nothing contained in this Chapter 5 establishes the authority as the sole provider of non-ambulance standby emergency medical services, nor shall it limit the authority of the city to regulate, manage, or govern standby emergency medical services and the provider(s) thereof.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
The authority board's membership and other matters relating to the authority shall be set forth in the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and in the Bylaws adopted by the authority's board.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
(a) There is hereby created a first responder advisory board ("FRAB") which shall advise and inform the authority and EPAB on matters related to first response and prehospital emergency medical services in the service area.
(b) The FRAB's membership and other matters relating to the board shall be set forth in the Restated and Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement and in the Bylaws adopted by the FRAB.
(Ord. 22613-02-2017, § 1, passed 2-21-2017; Ord. 24213-05-2020, § 1, passed 5-19-2020, eff. 5-28-2020)
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