The Florida Senate

401.23  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

(1)  "Advanced life support" means treatment of life-threatening medical emergencies through the use of techniques such as endotracheal intubation, the administration of drugs or intravenous fluids, telemetry, cardiac monitoring, and cardiac defibrillation by a qualified person, pursuant to rules of the department.

(2)  "Advanced life support service" means any emergency medical transport or nontransport service which uses advanced life support techniques.

(3)  "Air ambulance" means any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft used for, or intended to be used for, air transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to require medical attention during transport.

(4)  "Air ambulance service" means any publicly or privately owned service, licensed in accordance with the provisions of this part, which operates air ambulances to transport persons requiring or likely to require medical attention during transport.

(5)  "Ambulance" or "emergency medical services vehicle" means any privately or publicly owned land or water vehicle that is designed, constructed, reconstructed, maintained, equipped, or operated for, and is used for, or intended to be used for, land or water transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to require medical attention during transport.

(6)  "Ambulance driver" means any person who meets the requirements of s. 401.281

(7)  "Basic life support" means treatment of medical emergencies by a qualified person through the use of techniques such as patient assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), splinting, obstetrical assistance, bandaging, administration of oxygen, application of medical antishock trousers, administration of a subcutaneous injection using a premeasured autoinjector of epinephrine to a person suffering an anaphylactic reaction, and other techniques described in the Emergency Medical Technician Basic Training Course Curriculum of the United States Department of Transportation. The term "basic life support" also includes other techniques which have been approved and are performed under conditions specified by rules of the department.

(8)  "Basic life support service" means any emergency medical service which uses only basic life support techniques.

(9)  "Certification" means any authorization issued pursuant to this part to a person to act as an emergency medical technician or a paramedic.

(10)  "Department" means the Department of Health.

(11)  "Emergency medical technician" means a person who is certified by the department to perform basic life support pursuant to this part.

(12)  "Interfacility transfer" means the transportation by ambulance of a patient between two facilities licensed under chapter 393, chapter 395, chapter 400, or chapter 429, pursuant to this part.

(13)  "Licensee" means any basic life support service, advanced life support service, or air ambulance service licensed pursuant to this part.

(14)  "Medical direction" means direct supervision by a physician through two-way voice communication or, when such voice communication is unavailable, through established standing orders, pursuant to rules of the department.

(15)  "Medical director" means a physician who is employed or contracted by a licensee and who provides medical supervision, including appropriate quality assurance but not including administrative and managerial functions, for daily operations and training pursuant to this part.

(16)  "Mutual aid agreement" means a written agreement between two or more entities whereby the signing parties agree to lend aid to one another under conditions specified in the agreement and as sanctioned by the governing body of each affected county.

(17)  "Paramedic" means a person who is certified by the department to perform basic and advanced life support pursuant to this part.

(18)  "Permit" means any authorization issued pursuant to this part for a vehicle to be operated as a basic life support or advanced life support transport vehicle or an advanced life support nontransport vehicle providing basic or advanced life support.

(19)  "Physician" means a practitioner who is licensed under the provisions of chapter 458 or chapter 459. For the purpose of providing "medical direction" as defined in subsection (14) for the treatment of patients immediately prior to or during transportation to a United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, "physician" also means a practitioner employed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(20)  "Registered nurse" means a practitioner who is licensed to practice professional nursing pursuant to part I of chapter 464.

(21)  "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health.

(22)  "Service location" means any permanent location in or from which a licensee solicits, accepts, or conducts business under this part.

History.--s. 3, ch. 73-126; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 248, ch. 77-147; s. 1, ch. 77-347; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 1, 4, 10, ch. 79-280; s. 257, ch. 81-259; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 4, 24, 25, ch. 82-402; ss. 2, 12, 13, ch. 83-196; s. 4, ch. 84-317; s. 54, ch. 86-220; s. 1, ch. 89-283; ss. 3, 36, ch. 92-78; s. 42, ch. 97-237; s. 107, ch. 2000-318; s. 72, ch. 2006-197.