| (a) General.
(1) A course coordinator is an individual who has the
overall responsibility for conducting an emergency medical services
(EMS) training course under the direction of an approved EMS training
program (program).
(2) A course coordinator must be certified as at least
an emergency medical technician (EMT), and must be certified or licensed
at or above the level of the course being coordinated.
(3) Course coordinator certification is dependent on
the individual's EMS personnel certification and is subject to the
same status as that personnel certification. If the department imposes
disciplinary action in accordance with §157.16 of this title
(relating to Emergency Suspension, Suspension, Probation, Revocation
or Denial of a Provider License) or §157.36 of this title (relating
to Criteria for Denial and Disciplinary Actions for EMS Personnel
and Voluntary Surrender of a Certificate or License), the action shall
also be imposed automatically and immediately on the individual's
course coordinator certification.
(b) Levels of certification. Course coordinators may
be certified as a basic coordinator or as an advanced coordinator.
(c) Currently certified course coordinators. Course
coordinators certified on the effective date of this rule shall be
considered to have met the requirements of subsection (d) or (e) of
this section appropriate to their current level of certification.
(d) Basic coordinator requirements. To be certified
as a basic course coordinator, the candidate shall:
(1) submit an application for basic course coordinator
certification along with the nonrefundable fee of $60 to the Texas
Department of State Health Services (department) except a fee shall
not be required if compensation is not received for coordinating training
courses or programs;
(2) have been certified as an EMT or higher for at
least 4 consecutive years;
(3) have been a certified EMS instructor for at least
two consecutive years;
(4) have documented not less than 120 hours of instruction
for initial EMS certificants; or have successfully conducted an EMT-Basic
course;
(5) submit documentation of positive evaluations as
a certified instructor;
(6) be affiliated with and operate under the supervision
of a licensed provider, an EMS medical director, a teaching hospital,
a regionally accredited post-secondary educational institution and/or
a health care institution accredited by an organization recognized
by the department;
(7) submit letters of intent from qualified providers
of clinical and field internship experience;
(8) have successfully completed a department-sponsored
course coordinator training course; and
(9) after completing all the above requirements, pass
the EMS coordinator exam and retest, if necessary, no later than one
year after course completion date. The nonrefundable retest fee is
$30, except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received
for coordinating training courses or programs. If requirements are
not completed within one year after course completion date, the candidate
must meet the requirements of subsection (d) of this section including
the completion of another initial course to be certified.
(e) Advanced coordinator requirements. To be certified
as an advanced course coordinator, the candidate shall:
(1) submit an application for advanced course coordinator
certification along with the nonrefundable fee of $60 to the department;
except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received
for coordinating training courses or programs;
(2) have an associate degree, a bachelor degree, or
an advanced degree;
(3) have been a certified EMS instructor for at least
four consecutive years or as a basic course coordinator for two consecutive
years;
(4) have been certified/licensed as an paramedic for
at least 4 consecutive years;
(5) have documented not less than 240 hours of instruction
for initial EMS certificants;
(6) submit documentation of positive evaluations as
a certified instructor or as a basic coordinator;
(7) be affiliated with and operate under the supervision
of a regionally accredited post-secondary educational institution,
a health care institution accredited by an organization recognized
by the department, or another entity approved by the department to
sponsor an advanced training program in accordance with §157.32
of this title (relating to EMS Education Program and Course Approval);
(8) submit a letter of intent from qualified providers
of clinical and field internship experience;
(9) have successfully completed a department-sponsored
course coordinator training course;
(10) after completing all the above requirements, pass
the EMS coordinator exam and retest, if necessary, no later than one
year after course completion date. The nonrefundable retest fee is
$30, except a fee shall not be required if compensation is not received
for coordinating training courses or programs. If requirements are
not completed within one year after course completion date, the candidate
must meet the requirements of subsection (e) of this section including
the completion of another initial course to be certified; and
(11) candidates who hold current basic coordinator
certification and are applying for advanced coordinator certification
must complete all requirements of this subsection except paragraphs
(e)(9) and (e)(10) of this subsection.
(f) Period of Certification. After verification by
the department of the information submitted by the candidate, the
candidate who meets the requirements of the applicable subsection
(d) or (e) of this section shall be certified as a course coordinator
for two years commencing on the date of issuance of the certificate.
(g) Course coordinator training. All course coordinator
courses shall be conducted by the department or by the department
in conjunction with a regionally accredited post-secondary educational
institution approved by the department to sponsor a training program.
Criteria for admission to coordinator training shall be as follows:
(1) the candidate for admission to course coordinator
training will meet the requirements of subsection (d) or (e) of this
section as appropriate to the level of certification desired;
(2) the candidate shall submit a resume and completed
application to the appropriate department regional EMS office;
(3) the appropriate department regional EMS director
will forward the application and attachments to the appropriate training
facility with a recommendation regarding the candidate's admission
status; and
(4) successful candidates will be given a seat in the
class based on availability and admissions requirements.
(h) Responsibilities. Course coordinator shall have
the following responsibilities:
(1) plan for and evaluate the overall operation of
assigned courses;
(2) provide supervision and oversight for assigned
courses;
(3) act as liaison between the students, personnel
instructing in assigned courses, the program, and the department;
(4) coordinate submission of course approval documents
and fees, if applicable, for assigned courses to the department;
(5) assure availability of classrooms and other facilities
necessary to provide for the instruction and convenience of students
enrolled in assigned courses;
(6) in cooperation with the training program, process
student applications and select students;
(7) schedule classes and assign program instructors;
(8) assure that training equipment and supplies are
available and operational for each laboratory session;
(9) maintain effective relationships with clinical
and field internships facilities necessary to meeting the instructional
objectives of assigned courses;
(10) develop field internship and clinical objectives
for assigned courses;
(11) obtain written acknowledgement from the field
internship EMS provider medical director, if students will be conducting
advanced-level skills as part of their field internship with that
EMS provider;
(12) train and evaluate internship preceptors;
(13) in cooperation with the training program, maintain
all course records for a minimum of five years;
(14) in cooperation with the training program coordinate
course written examinations, skills proficiency verifications, and
other student evaluations;
(15) in cooperation with the training program evaluate
the effectiveness of the personnel who instruct in assigned courses;
(16) in cooperation with the training program supervise
and evaluate the effectiveness of the clinical and field internship
training for assigned courses;
(17) in cooperation with the training program attest
to the successful course completion of all students who meet the program's
requirements for completion;
(18) provide students with written information on the
Texas process to gain certification or licensure;
(19) educate students on current Texas EMS laws, policies
and rules;
(20) provide written notification to the department
within 24 hours or the next normal business day when leaving as the
course coordinator for an ongoing EMS program; and
(21) provide to the program within 24 hours or the
next normal business day all course material for an ongoing EMS program.
(i) Exception. A program may request the department
to grant an exception to allow a person not currently certified as
a course coordinator to temporarily perform the duties listed in subsection
(h) of this section.
(1) Such request must be submitted in writing and must
include the following:
(A) documentation of the urgency of the situation;
(B) a letter from the program endorsing the individual
who is to temporarily perform the duties of course coordinator; and
(C) letters of intent from qualified providers of clinical
and field internship experiences appropriate to the level of training
to be offered; and
(D) a letter of intent from a medical director.
(2) In determining whether the request for an exception
is to be approved or denied, the department shall consider but not
be limited to the following issues:
(A) resignation of a previous course coordinator or
the inability of a course coordinator to complete a current training
course;
(B) need for training in an area where a certified
course coordinator is not available within a reasonable distance and
training is unavailable through no outreach or distance learning technology;
and
(C) the probable adverse consequences to prehospital
emergency care, if the exception is not approved.
(3) After evaluation by the department, the program
shall be notified, in writing, of the approval or denial of the request.
(4) An individual who is approved shall be considered
a temporary course coordinator for not more than two years . If all
requirements for course coordinator certification are not met in the
two-year period, the approved training program with which the coordinator
is affiliated must demonstrate a continuing need for the exception.
If the department does not continue the exception, temporary status
shall cease and the individual may no longer function as a temporary
course coordinator.
(j) Recertification.
(1) Prior to the expiration of a course coordinator
certificate, the department shall send a notice of expiration to the
certificant at the address shown in the current records of the department.
It is the responsibility of course coordinators to notify the department
of any change of address.
(2) If a certificant has not received notice of expiration
from the department 30 days prior to the expiration, it is the duty
of the certificant to notify the department and request an application
for recertification. Failure to apply for recertification shall result
in expiration of the certificate.
(3) To be eligible for recertification, the course
coordinator shall meet recertification requirements during the latest
coordinator certification period and:
(A) maintain active EMS certification as required in
subsection (a)(2) of this section;
(B) attend updates for course coordinator as required
by the department;
(C) maintain association with:
(i) an approved basic or advanced program if recertifying
as a basic coordinator;
(ii) an approved advanced program if recertifying as
an advanced coordinator;
(D) maintain affiliation with entities which provide
clinical and field internship experience;
(E) submit an application for recertification and a
nonrefundable fee as in subsection (d) or (e) of this section;
Cont'd... |
