PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 619, 3247 PRINTER'S NO. 3732
No. 569 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. LIVENGOOD, ZORD, PETERSON, L. E. SMITH,
D. R. WRIGHT, C. GEORGE, LETTERMAN, STEIGHNER, RODGERS,
COCHRAN AND ARTY, MARCH 7, 1979
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 30, 1980
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of November 30, 1976 (P.L.1205, No.264),
2 entitled "An act defining emergency medical technician;
3 authorizing such personnel to render emergency care;
4 exempting such personnel and physicians working in
5 conjunction with them from civil liability when rendering
6 such care; and making repeals," further providing for
7 additional job protection for emergency medical technician or
8 emergency medical technician-paramedic and removing
9 additional liabilities for instructions to emergency medical
10 technician-paramedic.
11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12 hereby enacts as follows:
13 Section 1. Section 2, act of November 30, 1976 (P.L.1205,
14 No.264), referred to as the Emergency Medical Technician Law, is
15 amended to read:
16 Section 2. Treatment Rendered by Emergency Medical
17 Technician.--Notwithstanding the provisions of the act of July
18 20, 1974 (P.L.551, No.190), known as the "Medical Practice Act
19 of 1974," or the provisions of any other act to the contrary,
20 any emergency medical technician may, in the case of an
21 emergency:
1 (1) render emergency medical care, including pulmonary
2 resuscitation; [and]
3 (2) perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but excluding
4 those skills enumerated in section 3; and
5 (3) perform the application of pressure devices to reduce
6 peripheral blood flow and insert esophageal obturator airway
7 devices (EOA), provided that the emergency medical technician
8 has completed special training prescribed by the secretary, that
9 the device is a type approved by the secretary and that the
10 emergency medical technician is acting under direct verbal
11 medical command. In the failure of communications systems
12 providing such command, written specific protocols may govern
13 the action.
14 Section 2. Section 3 of the act is amended to read:
15 Section 3. Treatment Rendered by Emergency Medical
16 Technician-paramedic.--In addition to the provisions of section
17 2, any emergency medical technician-paramedic, may upon order of
18 a physician:
19 (1) administer parenteral medications and solutions
20 authorized by the secretary;
21 (2) perform gastric and pharyngeal suction by intubation;
22 (3) establish and maintain an airway by endotracheal
23 intubation or the esophageal obturator airway (EOA); [and]
24 (4) perform defibrillation; and
25 (5) apply the MAST garment.
26 Section 3. Subsection (a) of section 5 of the act is amended
27 AND A SUBSECTION IS ADDED to read: <--
28 Section 5. Liabilities.--(a) No physician, who in good
29 faith gives instructions to an emergency medical technician or
30 an emergency medical technician-paramedic, shall be liable for
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1 any civil damages as a result of issuing the instructions,
2 unless guilty of gross or willful negligence.
3 * * *
4 (C) NO EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL <--
5 TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC, WHO IN GOOD FAITH ATTEMPTS TO RENDER
6 EMERGENCY CARE AUTHORIZED BY THIS ACT AT AN EMERGENCY SCENE
7 WHILE ENROUTE TO A PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, SHALL RECEIVE ANY FORM
8 OF REPRIMAND OR PENALTY BY HIS OR HER EMPLOYER AS A RESULT OF
9 LATE ARRIVAL AT THE PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. AN EMPLOYER MAY REQUEST
10 WRITTEN VERIFICATION FROM ANY SUCH EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
11 OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC WHO SHALL OBTAIN THE
12 WRITTEN VERIFICATION FROM EITHER THE POLICE OFFICER OR AMBULANCE
13 PERSONNEL WHO IS IN CHARGE AT THE EMERGENCY SCENE.
14 Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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