68-140-203 - Development of system.

68-140-203. Development of system.

The department is authorized and directed to develop a compatible statewide system of emergency medical service area telecommunications. In formulating such a system, the department shall develop a program that includes, but is not limited to, the following provisions:

     (1)  A provision that determines the basic telecommunications requirements for each emergency medical entity within an emergency medical service area;

     (2)  An interfacility telecommunications provision that depicts the telecommunications resource coordination center for each emergency medical service area and designate the responsibilities of the center;

     (3)  A telecommunications resource inventory provision that includes each emergency medical entity and the number of radio operating units, base, mobile, handheld, and other units, per entity;

     (4)  An operational provision that includes dispatching, logging, and operating procedures pertaining to telecommunications on an emergency medical service area basis;

     (5)  An emergency medical service access provision that includes the telephone and radio numbering plan throughout the emergency medical service areas for both the landline and wireless requirements; and

     (6)  Any dispatching entity receiving and dispatching calls for emergency medical services that provides pre-arrival medical care instructions may require persons assigned to handle such calls to be certified as emergency medical dispatchers as defined in § 68-140-502. All such dispatching entities shall have medically approved dispatch protocols.

[Acts 1977, ch. 21, § 3; T.C.A., §§ 53-5123, 68-39-203; Acts 1994, ch. 726, § 2.]