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An Act To Improve Response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest by Requiring Training in the Delivery of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Methods by Telecommunications Technology
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2921, sub-§5-B  is enacted to read:
 
5-B.  Emergency services telecommunicator.     "Emergency services telecommunicator" means a person responsible for answering or communicating with a caller on a 9-1-1 call as an employee of or contractor for a public safety answering point, a public safety agency or a private safety agency.
Sec. 2.  25 MRSA §2921, sub-§16-A  is enacted to read:
 
16-A.  T-CPR.     "T-CPR" means the most current, high-quality, evidence-based, nationally recognized cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods delivered through instruction to persons on the scene of a cardiac arrest by means of telecommunications technology.
Sec. 3.  25 MRSA §2936  is enacted to read:
§ 2936. T-CPR training
Training in T-CPR must be provided as follows.
 
1.  T-CPR training required.     An emergency services telecommunicator that responds to calls involving emergency medical conditions must be trained in T-CPR. The training must incorporate recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructions for callers and must provide for continuing education.
 
2.  Monitoring and enforcement.     The department, in consultation with the bureau, shall establish by rule a procedure for monitoring adherence by emergency services telecommunicators, public safety answering points, public safety agencies and private safety agencies to the requirements of this section. The department may provide for adjustments in funding to public safety answering points for failure to comply with this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill defines "emergency services telecommunicator" and requires all emergency services telecommunicators that provide dispatch for calls involving emergency medical conditions to be trained in the delivery of cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods by telecommunications technology. The training must incorporate recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction and provide for continuing education. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety and the Emergency Services Communication Bureau within the Public Utilities Commission to establish a procedure to monitor compliance and allows the department to sanction noncompliance by adjusting funding.