To amend sections 505.44, 505.84, 3743.75, 4765.07, 4765.43, and 4766.03, to enact sections 505.441 and 4765.011, and to repeal section 4765.431 of the Revised Code to revise the requirements for staffing ambulances and the priorities for distributing grants for emergency medical services, and to specify additional titles to be used by emergency medical service personnel; and extends until December 15, 2015, a moratorium on issuing fireworks manufacturer and wholesaler licenses.

Section 1.  That sections 505.44, 505.84, 3743.75, 4765.07, 4765.43, and 4766.03 be amended and sections 505.441 and 4765.011 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 505.44.  As used in this section:

(A) "Emergency medical service organization" has the same meaning as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) "State agency" means all departments, boards, offices, commissions, agencies, colleges, universities, institutions, and other instrumentalities of this or another state.

In order to obtain the services of ambulance service organizations, to obtain additional services from ambulance service organizations in times of emergency, to obtain the services of emergency medical service organizations, or, if the township is located in a county with a population of forty thousand or less, to obtain the services of nonemergency patient transport service organizations, a township may enter into a contract with one or more state agencies, townships, municipal corporations, counties, nonprofit corporations, joint emergency medical services districts, fire and ambulance districts, or private ambulance owners, regardless of whether such state agencies, townships, municipal corporations, counties, nonprofit corporations, joint emergency medical services districts, fire and ambulance districts, or private ambulance owners are located within or outside the state, upon such terms as are agreed to by them, to furnish or receive services from ambulance or emergency medical service organizations or, if the township is located in a county with a population of forty thousand or less, to furnish or receive services from nonemergency patient transport service organizations, or may enter into a contract for the interchange of services from ambulance or emergency medical service organizations or, if the township is located in a county with a population of forty thousand or less, the interchange of services from nonemergency patient transport service organizations, within the several territories of the contracting parties, if the contract is first authorized by the respective boards of township trustees, the other legislative bodies, or the officer or body authorized to contract on behalf of the state agency. Such contracts shall not be entered into with a state agency or nonprofit corporation that receives more than half of its operating funds from governmental entities with the intention of directly competing with the operation of other ambulance, emergency medical, or nonemergency patient transport service organizations in the township unless the state agency or nonprofit corporation is awarded the contract after submitting the lowest and best bid to the board of township trustees.

The contract may provide for a fixed annual charge to be paid at the times agreed upon and stipulated in the contract, or for compensation based upon a stipulated price for each run, call, or emergency, or such terms as the elapsed time of service required in such run, call, or emergency, or any combination thereof parties may agree.

Any township wishing to commence providing or wishing to enter into a contract for the first time to furnish or obtain services from nonemergency patient transport service organizations on or after March 1, 1993, including a township in which a private provider has been providing the service, shall demonstrate the need for public funding for the service to, and obtain approval from, the state board of emergency medical services or its immediate successor board prior to the establishment of a township-operated or township-funded service.

Sec. 505.441.  (A) As used in this section, "run" includes a call and an emergency to which a contracting party responds under a contract executed pursuant to section 505.44 of the Revised Code.

(B) A township that enters into a contract with another party for services pursuant to section 505.44 of the Revised Code may provide in the contract that the contracting party shall collect and retain any fee that the township may charge for each run involving ambulance service, emergency medical service, or nonemergency patient transport service. The contract shall require that once each month, the contracting party shall provide the township with a written report that shall include for the previous month the number of runs the contracting party made in the township, the amount that was billed for each run, and the amount received for each run from the person that was billed for that particular run. The report also shall include the total amount collected that calendar year to date and the total amount outstanding that calendar year to date.

Sec. 505.84.  As used in this section, "authorized medicare reimbursement rate" means such rate established for the locality under Title XVIII of the "Social Security Act," 49 Stat. 620 (1935), 42 U.S.C.A. 301, as amended.

A board of township trustees may establish reasonable charges for the use of fire and rescue services, ambulance services, or emergency medical services. The board may establish different charges for township residents and nonresidents, and may, in its discretion, waive all or part of the charge for any resident. The charge for ambulance transportation for nonresidents shall be an amount not less than the authorized medicare reimbursement rate, except that, if prior to September 9, 1988, the board had different charges for residents and nonresidents and the charge for nonresidents was less than the authorized medicare reimbursement rate, the board may charge nonresidents less than the authorized medicare reimbursement rate.

Charges Except as provided in section 505.441 of the Revised Code, charges collected under this section shall be kept in a separate fund designated as "the fire and rescue services, ambulance services, and emergency medical services fund," and shall be appropriated and administered by the board. The fund shall be used for the payment of the costs of the management, maintenance, and operation of fire and rescue services, ambulance services, and emergency medical services in the township. If the fire and rescue services, ambulance services, and emergency medical services are discontinued in the township, any balance remaining in the fund shall be paid into the general fund of the township.

Sec. 3743.75. (A) During the period beginning on June 29, 2001, and ending on December 15, 2011 2015, the state fire marshal shall not do any of the following:

(1) Issue a license as a manufacturer of fireworks under sections 3743.02 and 3743.03 of the Revised Code to a person for a particular fireworks plant unless that person possessed such a license for that fireworks plant immediately prior to June 29, 2001;

(2) Issue a license as a wholesaler of fireworks under sections 3743.15 and 3743.16 of the Revised Code to a person for a particular location unless that person possessed such a license for that location immediately prior to June 29, 2001;

(3) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, approve the geographic transfer of a license as a manufacturer or wholesaler of fireworks issued under this chapter to any location other than a location for which a license was issued under this chapter immediately prior to June 29, 2001.

(B) Division (A)(3) of this section does not apply to a transfer that the state fire marshal approves under division (F) of section 3743.17 of the Revised Code.

(C) Notwithstanding section 3743.59 of the Revised Code, the prohibited activities established in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section, geographic transfers approved pursuant to division (F) of section 3743.17 of the Revised Code, and storage locations allowed pursuant to division (I) of section 3743.04 of the Revised Code or division (G) of section 3743.17 of the Revised Code are not subject to any variance, waiver, or exclusion.

(D) As used in division (A) of this section:

(1) "Person" includes any person or entity, in whatever form or name, that acquires possession of a manufacturer or wholesaler of fireworks license issued pursuant to this chapter by transfer of possession of a license, whether that transfer occurs by purchase, assignment, inheritance, bequest, stock transfer, or any other type of transfer, on the condition that the transfer is in accordance with division (D) of section 3743.04 of the Revised Code or division (D) of section 3743.17 of the Revised Code and is approved by the fire marshal.

(2) "Particular location" includes a licensed premises and, regardless of when approved, any storage location approved in accordance with section 3743.04 or 3743.17 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Such a license" includes a wholesaler of fireworks license that was issued in place of a manufacturer of fireworks license that existed prior to June 29, 2001, and was requested to be canceled by the license holder pursuant to division (D) of section 3743.03 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4765.011. (A) With respect to the following individuals who receive certificates to practice issued under this chapter, all of the following apply:

(1) A first responder shall be also known as an emergency medical responder or EMR;

(2) An emergency medical technician-basic or EMT-basic shall be also known as an emergency medical technician or EMT, respectively;

(3) An emergency medical technician-intermediate or EMT-I shall be also known as an advanced emergency medical technician or AEMT, respectively.

(B) With respect to the provisions of this chapter and all other provisions of the Revised Code that refer to the individuals specified in division (A) of this section, all of the following apply:

(1) A reference to a first responder is deemed to be a reference to an emergency medical responder or EMR;

(2) A reference to an emergency medical technician-basic or EMT-basic is deemed to be a reference to an emergency medical technician or EMT, respectively;

(3) A reference to an emergency medical technician-intermediate or EMT-I is deemed to be a reference to an advanced emergency medical technician or AEMT, respectively.

Sec. 4765.07.  (A) The state board of emergency medical services shall adopt rules under section 4765.11 of the Revised Code to establish and administer a grant program under which grants are distributed according to the following priorities:

(1) First priority shall be given to emergency medical service organizations for the training of personnel, for the purchase of equipment and vehicles, and to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of emergency medical services in this state. In this category, the board shall give priority to grants that fund training and equipping of emergency medical service personnel.

(2) Second priority shall be given to entities that research, test, and evaluate medical procedures and systems related to adult and pediatric trauma care.

(3) Third priority shall be given to entities that research the causes, nature, and effects of traumatic injuries, educate the public about injury prevention, and implement, test, and evaluate injury prevention strategies.

(3) Third (4) Fourth priority shall be given to entities that research, test, and evaluate procedures that promote the rehabilitation, retraining, and reemployment of adult or pediatric trauma victims and social service support mechanisms for adult or pediatric trauma victims and their families.

(4) Fourth (5) Fifth priority shall be given to entities that research, test, and evaluate medical procedures related to adult and pediatric trauma care conduct research on, test, or evaluate one or more of the following:

(a) Procedures governing the performance of emergency medical services in this state;

(b) The training of emergency medical service personnel;

(c) The staffing of emergency medical service organizations.

(6) For grants distributed for the grant award years occurring not later than the award year ending June 30, 2017, sixth priority shall be given to entities that operate paramedic training programs and are seeking national accreditation of the programs.

(B) To be eligible for a grant distributed pursuant to division (A)(6) of this section, an applicant for the grant shall meet all of the following conditions:

(1) Hold a certificate of accreditation issued by the board under section 4765.17 of the Revised Code to operate a paramedic training program;

(2) Be seeking initial national accreditation of the program from an accrediting organization approved by the board;

(3) Apply for the national accreditation on or after February 25, 2010.

(C) The grant program shall be funded from the trauma and emergency medical services grants fund created by section 4513.263 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4765.43.  (A) A person who drives an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services, is not required by this chapter to be certified as an emergency medical technician-basic, emergency medical technician-intermediate, or emergency medical technician-paramedic.

(B)(1) During each emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services and is operated by an emergency medical service organization that does not utilize any volunteer emergency medical service providers or does not substantially utilize those providers During each emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services, the emergency medical service organization operating the ambulance shall staff the ambulance in accordance with this section.

For purposes of determining the applicable staffing requirements, both of the following apply:

(1) An emergency run consists of components that are distinguished between the period during which the ambulance is traveling to the scene of an emergency and, if applicable, the period during which the ambulance is transporting a patient from the scene of the emergency.

(2) In the case of an emergency medical service organization that utilizes a combination of volunteer and paid first responders, emergency medical service technicians-basic, emergency medical service technicians-intermediate, or emergency medical service technicians-paramedic, the organization is considered to be substantially utilizing volunteers in a particular week when the paid individuals, taken as a whole, are scheduled for a total of not more than one hundred ninety-two hours in that week.

(B) With respect to the driver of an ambulance during an emergency run, both of the following apply:

(1) The driver must be at least eighteen years of age.

(2) The driver must hold a certificate issued under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code to practice as a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic or a fire training certificate issued pursuant to section 4765.55 of the Revised Code to provide services as a firefighter.

(C) With respect to the component of an emergency run during which the ambulance is traveling to the scene of the emergency, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least one EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic. This individual may serve as the driver.

(D) With respect to the component of an emergency run during which a patient is being transported, the ambulance shall be staffed as follows:

(1) If the emergency medical service organization utilizes only paid individuals or utilizes volunteers on a basis that is not considered to be substantially utilizing volunteers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics. When an ambulance is so staffed, it may be driven by a person who is not certified as an EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic One of these individuals may serve as the driver.

(2) During each emergency run made by an ambulance that is equipped for emergency medical services and is operated by an If the emergency medical service organization that is substantially utilizes volunteer emergency medical service providers utilizing volunteers or utilizes only volunteers, the ambulance shall be staffed by at least two EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics or by at least one first responder and one EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic. When an ambulance is so staffed, it may be driven by a person who is not certified as a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic. If circumstances so require, an ambulance that is staffed by only one first responder and one EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic may be driven by the first responder who is staffing the ambulance with the EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic One of these individuals may serve as the driver, but if the staffing requirement is being met by utilizing a first responder, the first responder shall serve as the driver.

(C) For purposes of division (B) of this section, an emergency medical service organization substantially utilizes volunteer emergency medical service providers if, on any given date, for the six-month period immediately prior to that date, the organization's daily average number of hours during which the organization used only volunteer first responders, volunteer EMTs-basic, volunteer EMTs-I, or volunteer paramedics, or a combination of such volunteers, was fifty per cent or more of the daily average number of hours that the organization made emergency medical services available to the public.

Sec. 4766.03.  (A) The Ohio medical transportation board shall adopt rules, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, implementing the requirements of this chapter. The rules shall include provisions relating to the following:

(1) Requirements for an emergency medical service organization to receive a permit for an ambulance or nontransport vehicle;

(2) Requirements for an emergency medical service organization to receive a license as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization;

(3) Requirements for a nonemergency medical service organization to receive a permit for an ambulette vehicle;

(4) Requirements for a nonemergency medical service organization to receive a license for an ambulette service;

(5) Requirements for an air medical service organization to receive a permit for a rotorcraft air ambulance or fixed wing air ambulance;

(6) Requirements for licensure of air medical service organizations;

(7) Forms for applications and renewals of licenses and permits;

(8) Requirements for record keeping of service responses made by licensed emergency medical service organizations;

(9) Fee amounts for licenses and permits, and their renewals;

(10) Inspection requirements for licensees' vehicles or aircraft, records, and physical facilities;

(11) Fee amounts for inspections of ambulances, ambulettes, rotorcraft air ambulances, fixed wing air ambulances, and nontransport vehicles;

(12) Requirements for ambulances and nontransport vehicles used by licensed emergency medical service organizations, for ambulette vehicles used by licensed nonemergency medical service organizations, and for rotorcraft air ambulances or fixed wing air ambulances used by licensed air medical service organizations that specify for each type of vehicle or aircraft the types of equipment that must be carried, the communication systems that must be maintained, and the personnel who must staff the vehicle or aircraft;

(13) The level of care each type of emergency medical service organization, nonemergency medical service organization, and air medical service organization is authorized to provide;

(14) Eligibility requirements for employment as an ambulette driver, including grounds for disqualification due to the results of a motor vehicle law violation check, chemical test, or criminal records check. The rule may require that an applicant for employment as an ambulette driver provide a set of fingerprints to law enforcement authorities if the applicant comes under final consideration for employment.

(15) Any other rules that the board determines necessary for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter.

(B) In the rules for ambulances and nontransport vehicles adopted under division (A)(12) of this section, the board may establish requirements that vary according to whether the emergency medical service organization using the vehicles is licensed as a basic life-support, intermediate life-support, advanced life-support, or mobile intensive care unit organization.

(C) A mobile intensive care unit that is not dually certified to provide advanced life-support and meets the requirements of the rules adopted under this section is not required to carry immobilization equipment, including board splint kits, traction splints, backboards, backboard straps, cervical immobilization devices, cervical collars, stair chairs, folding cots, or other types of immobilization equipment determined by the board to be unnecessary for mobile intensive care units.

A mobile intensive care unit is exempt from the emergency medical technician staffing requirements of division (B) of section 4765.43 of the Revised Code when it is staffed by at least one physician or registered nurse and another person, designated by a physician, who holds a valid license or certificate to practice in a health care profession, and when at least one of the persons staffing the mobile intensive care unit is a registered nurse whose training meets or exceeds the training required for a paramedic.

Section 2.  That existing sections 505.44, 505.84, 3743.75, 4765.07, 4765.43, and 4766.03 and section 4765.431 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.