CENTRAL CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES A Division of the Fresno County Department of Public Health

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1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES A Division of the Fresno County Department of Public Health Manual Subject Emergency Medical Services Administrative Policies and Procedures Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Recertification / Continuing Education Policy Number 114 Page 1 of 6 References California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 9 Division 2.5 of the California Health and Safety Code Effective: 04/15/86 I. POLICY The Central California EMS Agency shall recertify an EMT who has successfully completed all recertification requirements. II. PROCEDURE A. In order to be eligible for recertification, an individual must: 1. Possess a current EMT Certification in California; and 2. Possess a current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS) certification by the standards of the American Heart Association (Healthcare Provider), or American Red Cross (Professional Rescuer CPR), or the equivalent; and 3. Successfully complete an approved EMT refresher course or obtain twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education hours from an approved continuing education provider; and 4. Submit a completed skills competency verification form (see attached). 5. Complete the criminal history background check (Live Scan). If the applicant has already completed a Live Scan background check for the CCEMSA and it is on file with the CCEMSA, then a Live Scan background check is not required for recertification. Live Scan forms must be obtained from the CCEMSA or the CCEMSA website in order for Live Scan processing. B. The effective date of recertification shall be the date the individual satisfactorily completes all recertification requirements and has applied for recertification. If the EMT recertification requirements are met within six (6) months prior to the current certification expiration date, the EMT Certifying entity shall make the effective date of recertification the date immediately following the expiration date of the current certificate. The certification will expire two (2) years from the day prior to the effective date. C. Lapse in certification: 1. Certification lapse of less than six months - the individual shall obtain at least twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education hours from an approved continuing education provider or successfully complete a twenty-four hour refresher course from an approved EMT training program and submit a completed skills competency verification form (see attachment). Approved By EMS Division Manager EMS Medical Director Signatures on File at EMS Agency Signatures on File at EMS Agency Revision 04/01/2013

2 Page 2 of 6 2. Certification lapse of six months or more, but less than twelve months, - the individual shall obtain an additional twelve (12) hours of continuing education for a total of 36 hours of training from an approved continuing education provider and submit a completed skills competency verification form (see attached). 3. Certification lapse of twelve months or more, but less than 24 months, - the individual shall obtain an additional twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education for a total of 48 hours of training and the individual shall pass the written and skills certification exam. 4. For a lapse of twenty-four months or more the individual shall complete an entire EMT course. D. A California certified EMT who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and whose certification expires while deployed on active duty, or whose certification expires less than six (6) months from the date they return from active duty deployment, with the Armed Forces of the United States shall have six (6) months from the date they return from active duty deployment to complete the requirements. In order to qualify for this exception, the individual shall submit proof of their membership in the Armed Forces of the United States and documentation of their employment starting and ending dates. Continuing education credit may be given for documented training that meets the requirements while the individual was deployed on active duty. The documentation shall include verification from the individual s Commanding Officer attesting to the training attended. E. The EMS Agency shall issue a wallet-sized certificate to eligible persons who successfully complete all criteria for recertification. That certificate shall contain the information specified in Policy #112. F. Continuing Education 1. In order to acquire acceptable continuing education credit, prehospital personnel shall attend classes and courses that are provided by Continuing Education (CE) Providers approved either by the Central California EMS Agency, another Local EMS Agency or the California State EMS Authority. Continuing Education Providers approved by Central California EMS Agency shall adhere to the provisions of this policy when issuing continuing education credit for classes or courses offered for continuing education. 2. Continuing Education credit shall be granted for: a. Courses in any of the topics contained in the respective National Standard Curricula for training EMS personnel. b. Advanced topics in subject matter outside the scope of practice of the certified or licensed EMS personnel but directly relevant to emergency medical care (e.g., surgical airway procedures). 3. Delivery formats for CE courses shall be any of the following: a. Classroom Didactic and/or skills laboratory where direct interaction with instructor is possible. b. Organized field care audits of patient care records. c. Courses offered by accredited universities and colleges, including junior and community colleges.

3 Page 3 of 6 d. Structured clinical experience, with instructional objectives, to review or expand the clinical expertise of the individual. e. Media based and/or serial productions (e.g., films, videos, audiotape programs, magazine articles offered for CE credit, home study, computer simulations or interactive computer modules). f. Precepting EMS students or EMS personnel as assigned by an EMS training program or an EMS service provider. CE for precepting can only be given for actual time spent precepting a student or EMS personnel and must be issued by the EMS training program or EMS service provider that has an agreement or contract with the field preceptor or with the preceptor s employer. In order to issue CE for precepting EMS students or EMS personnel, an EMS service provider must be a CE provider. 4. Limitations a. At least fifty percent of the required CE hours must be in a format that is instructorbased, which means that instructor resources are readily available to the student to answer questions, provide feedback, provide clarification and address concerns (e.g., online CE courses where an instructor is available to the student). This provision shall not include precepting or magazine articles for CE credit. The Central California EMS Agency shall determine whether a CE course, class or activity is instructor-based. b. During a certification or licensure cycle, an individual may receive credit, one time only, for services as a CE course, class, or activity instructor. Credit received shall be the same as the number of CE hours applied to the course, class, or activity. c. During a certification or licensure cycle, an individual may receive credit, one time only, for services as an instructor for an approved EMT, Advanced EMT, or EMT-Paramedic training program, except that the hours of service shall not exceed fifty percent of the total CE hours required in a single certification or licensure cycle. d. When guided by the EMS service provider s quality improvement programs, an EMS service provider that is an approved CE provider may issue continuing education hours for skills competency demonstrations to address any deficiencies identified by the service provider quality improvement program. Skills competency demonstration shall be conducted with the respective National Standard Curriculum skills outline or in accordance with the certification policies of the Central California EMS Agency. e. An individual may receive credit for taking the same CE course, class, or activity no more than two times during a single certification or licensure cycle. f. If it is determined through a quality improvement program that EMS personnel working in a local EMS System need remediation or refresher in an area of the individual s knowledge and/or skills, the Central California EMS Agency Medical Director or an EMS service provider may require the EMS personnel to take an approved CE course with learning objectives that addresses the remediation or refresher needed, as part of the individual s required hours of CE for maintaining certification or licensure. g. Because paramedic licensure renewal applications are due to the EMS Authority thirty (30) days prior to the expiration date of a paramedic license, a CE course taken in the last month of a paramedic s licensure cycle, may be applied to the paramedic s subsequent licensure cycle, if that CE course was not applied to the licensure cycle during which the CE course was taken.

4 Page 4 of 6 5. Continuing Education Records: a. CE shall be completed during the current certification or licensure cycle. b. In order for CE to satisfy the requirements for renewal of a lapsed certificate or license, CE shall be valid for a maximum of two years prior to the date of submission of a completed application for certificate or license renewal. c. EMS personnel shall maintain for four years, CE certificates issued to them by any CE provider. d. CE certificates may be audited for cause by the certifying or licensing authority or as part of the certifying or licensing authority s continuing education verification process.

5 Page 5 of 6 State of California EMT Skills Competency Verification Form EMSA SCV (08/10) 1a. Name as shown on EMT Certificate 1b. Certificate Number 1d. Certifying Authority Skill Verification of Competency 1. Patient examination, trauma patient; Affiliation Date 2. Patient examination, medical patient Affiliation Date 3. Airway emergencies Affiliation Date 4. Breathing emergencies Affiliation Date 5. Automated external defibrillation Affiliation Date 6. Circulation emergencies Affiliation Date 7. Neurological emergencies Affiliation Date 8. Soft tissue injury Affiliation Date 9. Musculoskeletal injury Affiliation Date 10. Obstetrical emergencies Affiliation Date

6 Page 6 of 6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF EMT SKILLS COMPETENCY VERIFICATION FORM A completed EMT Skills Verification Form is required to accompany an EMT recertification application for those individuals who are either maintaining EMT certification without a lapse or to renew EMT certification with a lapse in certification less than one year. 1a. Name of Certificate Holder Provide the complete name, last name first, of the EMT certificate holder who is demonstrating skills competency. 1b. Certificate Number Provide the EMT certification number from the current or lapsed EMT certificate of the EMT certificate holder who is demonstrating competency. 1c. Certifying Authority Provide the name of the EMT certifying authority for which the individual will be certifying through. Verification of Competency 1. Affiliation - Provide the name of the training program or EMS service provider that the qualified individual who is verifying competency is affiliated with. 2. Once competency has been demonstrated by direct observation of an actual or simulated patient contact, i.e. skills station, the individual verifying competency shall sign the EMT Skills Competency Verification Form (EMSA-SCV 08/10) for that skill. 3. Qualified individuals who verify skills competency shall be currently licensed or certified as: An EMT, Advanced EMT, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Physician Assistant, or Physician and shall be either a qualified instructor designated by an EMS approved training program (EMT training program, paramedic training program or continuing education training program) or by a qualified individual designated by an EMS service provider. EMS service providers include, but are not be limited to, public safety agencies, private ambulance providers, and other EMS providers. 4. Certification or License Number Provide the certification or license number for the individual verifying competency. 5. Date- Enter the date that the individual demonstrates competency in each skill. 6. Print Name Print the name of the individual verifying competency in the skill. Verification of skills competency shall be valid to apply for EMT recertification for a maximum of two years from the date of verification.