§ 20-51. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Advanced life support shall mean treatment of life-threatening medical emergencies through the use of techniques such as endotracheal intubation, the administration of drugs or intravenous fluids, telemetry, cardiac monitoring, and cardiac defibrillation by a qualified person, pursuant to Florida Statutes.

Advanced life support service shall mean any licensed agency providing basic and advanced emergency medical transportation or non-transport services.

Alternative transportation service shall mean any privately or publicly owned service employing a land, air or water vehicle that is designed, constructed, reconstructed, maintained, equipped or operated for, and is used for, or intended to be used for air, land or water transportation of persons who are confined to wheelchairs or stretchers and whose condition is such that these persons do not need, nor are likely to need, immediate medical attention during transport. This service is also known as Paratransit.

Ambulance or emergency medical services vehicle shall mean any private or publicly owned land, air or water vehicle that is designed, constructed, reconstructed, maintained, equipped, or operated for, and is used for, or intended to be used for, air, land or water response to and/or transportation of sick or injured persons who may need medical attention.

Basic life support shall mean treatment of medical emergencies by a qualified person through the use of techniques such as patient assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), cardiac defibrillation, splinting, obstetrical assistance, bandaging, administration of oxygen, and other techniques pursuant to Florida Statutes.

Basic life support service shall mean any licensed agency providing basic emergency medical transportation or non-transport services.

Certificate shall mean the certificate of public convenience and necessity to be required under this article and applicable state law.

Citizens based emergency response programs. These programs include but are not limited to: Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) programs, Citizens Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) programs and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs.

County emergency medical services advisory council shall mean the advisory council created by board of county commissioners to provide strategic planning for the county emergency medical services system and to evaluate and make recommendations to the board of county commissioners and other appropriate authorities.

County emergency medical services system shall mean a system consisting of all private and governmental basic life support service or advanced life support service which employ state certified emergency medical technicians and paramedics who operate under the supervision of the county medical director and/or who have signed an interlocal agreement with the board of county commissioners; and designated first responder agencies.

Credentialing shall mean authorization issued by the medical director of a basic life support service or advanced life support service to any person to act as an emergency medical technician or a paramedic within the county emergency medical services system.

Department shall mean the health and family services department.

Division shall mean the county health services division in the health and family services department.

Emergency medical condition shall mean a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, which may include severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:

(1)

Serious jeopardy to patient health, including a pregnant woman or fetus.

(2)

Serious impairment to bodily functions.

(3)

Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.

Emergency medical dispatch shall mean the medical director approved system of emergency call taking designed to dispatch the appropriate level of services based on established criteria and provide pre-arrival instructions to the caller until EMS arrives.

Emergency medical services (EMS) ALS and BLS provider shall mean any person, firm, corporation, association or local government which possesses an ALS or BLS certificate and advertises or engages in the business of providing air or ground ALS or BLS services.

Emergency medical technician shall mean a person certified by the department of health or the appropriate state agency, who is authorized to perform basic life support, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 401, Florida Statutes.

EMSO shall mean the emergency medical services office in the county health services division.

First responder shall mean an individual not certified by the state as an EMT or paramedic, who has received state-approved training to render on-scene initial care to an ill or injured person, but who does not have the primary responsibility for treating and transporting the ill or injured person.

First responder agency shall mean any agency which is not licensed under F.S. ch. 401, which renders, as part of its routine functions, on-scene patient care to an ill or injured person before an EMT or paramedic arrives.

First responder memorandum of understanding (MOU) shall mean the written instrument by which all first responder agencies enter into an MOU with the EMS licensee within whose territory the agency operates pursuant to state statutes.

Hospital shall mean any establishment that is licensed under Chapter 395, Florida Statutes to:

(1)

Offer services more intensive than those required for room, board, personal services, and general nursing care, and offers facilities and beds for use beyond twenty-four (24) hours by individuals requiring diagnosis, treatment, or care for illness, injury, deformity, infirmity, abnormality, disease, or pregnancy; and

(2)

Regularly make available at least clinical laboratory services, diagnostic x-ray services, and treatment facilities for surgery or obstetrical care, or other definitive medical treatment of similar extent.

Hospital campus shall mean any continuous mass of land upon which commonly owned hospital buildings that are used to provide hospital services are situated and under the dominion and control of the licensed hospital facility.

Interfacility air ambulance service shall mean any licensed air ambulance service which provides inter-hospital, hospital to other health care facility licensed under F.S. chs. 393, 395, or 400, or similar transport.

Interfacility ALS or BLS ground transportation services shall mean a licensed ALS or BLS transport service that provides the care and transportation of a person whose condition is stabilized or who has been evaluated as a medically necessary transfer, pursuant to state statutes.

Interlocal agreement shall mean an agreement intended to establish clear and consistent roles and authority for participating private and public basic life support services or advanced life support services who are members of the county emergency medical services system. This agreement is one (1) of a series of concurrently executed similar agreements which are to be read equally and together as governing the operation of, and terms and conditions of participation in, the integrated county emergency medical services system. This agreement is not intended to be, and shall not be, construed in any way to deprive a signatory participant of any jurisdictional powers vested in said signatory participant.

License shall mean a license issued to an alternative transportation service provider pursuant to this chapter.

Medical communications shall mean the policies, processes and procedures governing the medical communications system established in the county in accordance with the state division of communications guidelines.

Medical director shall mean a licensed physician or a corporation dedicated to the provision of emergency medical services, employed under a written contract by the county to supervise and accept responsibility for the medical performance of the emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the county operating within the county's emergency medical services system, except for emergency medical technicians and paramedics employed by a basic life support service or advanced life support service that contracts with its own medical director and has executed an interlocal agreement with the board of county commissioners. In that case, the medical director of that agency shall supervise and accept responsibility for the emergency medical technicians and paramedics of that agency. The medical director also shall perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the written contract of employment.

The medical director provides medical control through written protocols, on-line supervision, continuing education, and quality assurance. The medical director shall report to the department and make periodic reports to the advisory council as requested.

Neonatal ambulance shall mean a specialized ALS permitted vehicle which transports only neonates to a Level II or Level III neonatal intensive care unit. A neonatal intensive care unit is a specialized unit of a hospital which is designated by the agency for health care administration.

Paramedic shall mean a person, certified by the department of health or the appropriate state agency who is authorized to perform basic and advanced life support, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 401, Florida Statutes.

Patient shall mean any person who is in need of emergency medical treatment or transportation.

Person shall mean any living human being, corporation, partnership or other business entity.

Pre-hospital shall mean the out-of-hospital provision of ALS or BLS treatment and/or transport services to a patient who has an emergency medical condition.

Trauma transport protocols shall mean the protocols approved by the medical director directing the dispatch of vehicles and the assessment and transport of adult and pediatric trauma patients.

(Code 1965, § 12A-1; Ord. No. 81-4, § 1, 3-9-81; Ord. No. 83-34, § 1, 8-8-83; Ord. No. 92-9, § 1, 4-7-92; Ord. No. 96-24, § 1, 8-27-96; Ord. No. 2001-09, § 2, 5-1-01)

Cross reference

Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.