Chapter 256

CHAPTER 256

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

256.01   Definitions.

256.04   Emergency medical services board.

256.08   State emergency medical services activities.

256.12   Emergency medical services programs.

256.13   Cardiocerebral resuscitation.

256.15   Emergency medical services personnel; licensure; certification; training.

256.155   First aid to domestic animals.

256.17   Denial, nonrenewal and suspension of license, training permit or certification based on certain delinquency in payment.

256.18   Denial, nonrenewal, and revocation of license, certification, or permit based on delinquent taxes or unemployment insurance contributions.

256.205   Community paramedics.

256.21   Community emergency medical services practitioners.

256.215   Providers of community emergency medical services.

256.23   Ambulance service provider fee.

256.25   Statewide trauma care system.

256.30   Refusal or delay of emergency service.

256.35   Statewide emergency services number.

256.40   Opioid antagonists.

Ch. 256 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See definitions in s. 250.01.

Ch. 256 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DHS 110, Wis. adm. code.

256.01 256.01 Definitions. In this chapter:

256.01(1k) (1k) “Advanced emergency medical technician” means an emergency medical services practitioner who has completed intermediate technician training.

256.01(1t) (1t) “Ambulance” means an emergency vehicle, including any motor vehicle, boat or aircraft, whether privately or publicly owned, which is designed, constructed or equipped to transport sick, disabled or injured individuals.

256.01(2) (2) “Ambulance service” means the business of transporting sick, disabled, or injured individuals by ambulance to or from facilities or institutions providing health services.

256.01(3) (3) “Ambulance service provider” means a person engaged primarily in the business of transporting sick, disabled, or injured individuals by ambulance to or from facilities or institutions providing health services.

256.01(4) (4) “Board” means the emergency medical services board.

256.01(4p) (4p) “Emergency medical responder” means a person who is certified by the department as an emergency medical responder under s. 256.15 (8) (a) or is exempt under s. 256.15 (2) (b) or (c) and who, as a condition of employment or as a member of an organization that provides emergency medical care before hospitalization, provides emergency medical care to a sick, disabled, or injured individual.

256.01(5) (5) “Emergency medical services practitioner” means an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, an emergency medical technician — intermediate, or a paramedic.

256.01(6) (6) “Emergency medical technician” means an individual who is licensed by the department to administer basic life support and to properly handle and transport sick, disabled, or injured individuals or is exempt under s. 256.15 (2) (b) or (c).

256.01(7) (7) “Emergency medical technician — intermediate” means an individual who is licensed by the department as an emergency medical technician — intermediate under s. 256.15 (5) or is exempt under s. 256.15 (2) (b) or (c).

256.01(10) (10) “Hospital” has the meaning given in s. 50.33 (2).

256.01(11) (11) “Medical director” means a physician who trains, medically coordinates, directs, supervises, establishes standard operating procedures for, and designates physicians for direction and supervision of, emergency medical services practitioners and who reviews the performance of emergency medical services practitioners and ambulance service providers.

256.01(12) (12) “Nonprofit corporation” means a nonstock corporation organized under ch. 181 that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (17).

256.01(13) (13) “Opioid antagonist” has the meaning given in s. 450.01 (13v).

256.01(14) (14) “Paramedic” means an individual who is specially trained in emergency cardiac, trauma, and other lifesaving or emergency procedures in a training program or course of instruction prescribed by the department and who is examined and licensed as a paramedic under s. 256.15 (5) or is exempt under s. 256.15 (2) (b) or (c).

256.01 History History: 2007 a. 130 ss. 53, 54, 58 to 61, 67, 68, 120, 122, 132, 202; 2013 a. 166, 200; 2015 a. 26, 83, 113; 2017 a. 12, 66, 366.

256.04 256.04 Emergency medical services board. The emergency medical services board shall do all of the following:

256.04(1) (1) Appoint an advisory committee of physicians with expertise in the emergency medical services area to advise the department on the criteria for selection of the state medical director for emergency medical services and on the performance of the director and to advise the director on appropriate medical issues.

256.04(4) (4) Periodically review all emergency medical services statutes and rules for surface, water and air transportation and recommend to the department and the department of transportation changes in those statutes and rules to provide different personnel and equipment requirements, where appropriate, for emergency response, nonemergency response and interfacility transportation of patients.

256.04(5) (5) Seek involvement in its deliberations by appropriate personnel from the department, the technical college system board and the department of transportation.

256.04(6) (6) Seek involvement in its deliberations by ambulance service provider personnel, emergency medical services practitioners, emergency medical responders, persons who train emergency medical services personnel and other interested persons.

256.04(7) (7) Advise, make recommendations to, and consult with the department concerning the funding under s. 256.12 (4) and (5), including recommending a formula for allocating funds among ambulance service providers under s. 256.12 (5).

256.04(8) (8) Review the annual budget prepared by the department for the expenditures under s. 20.435 (1) (r).

256.04(9) (9) Prepare written information on cardiocerebral resuscitation and provide the information to persons who offer certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

256.04(10) (10) Prepare recommendations on training and approval qualifications for community paramedics and community emergency medical services practitioners.

256.04(11) (11) Serve as a repository and contact for information and guidance on rendering first aid to domestic animals. In developing any guidance under this subsection, the board shall consult with a licensed veterinarian who is trained in pre-hospitalization emergency care of domestic animals.

256.04 History History: 1993 a. 16 ss. 2578f, 2578g, 2578p; 1995 a. 225; 1997 a. 27; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 104; 2007 a. 130 ss. 156 to 159; Stats. 2007 s. 256.04; 2009 a. 28; 2009 a. 180 s. 125; 2017 a. 12, 66, 166; 2023 a. 19.

256.08 256.08 State emergency medical services activities.

256.08(1) (1) State emergency medical services plan.

256.08(1)(a) (a) By December 31, 1995, the department shall prepare a state emergency medical services plan. The plan shall include an identification of priorities for changes in the state emergency medical services system for the 2 years following preparation of the plan. In preparing the plan, the department shall review all statutes and rules that relate to emergency medical services and recommend in the plan any changes in those statutes and rules that the department considers appropriate. After initial preparation of the plan, the department shall keep the plan current and shall reorder priorities for changes in the state emergency medical services system, based on determinations of the board.

256.08(1)(b) (b) Biennially, prior to final adoption of the state emergency medical services plan, the department shall hold at least one public hearing on a draft of the plan.

256.08(1)(c) (c) The department shall provide a copy of the state emergency medical services plan biennially to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).

256.08(2) (2) Qualifications of state supervisor. The board shall recommend to the department the qualifications of any individual who may be hired on or after April 23, 1994, to supervise the subunit of the department that is primarily responsible for regulation of emergency medical services.

256.08(3) (3) Departmental rules; consultation. The department shall consult with the board before promulgating a proposed rule that relates to funding of emergency medical services programs under s. 256.12 or to regulation of emergency medical services.

256.08(4) (4) Departmental duties. The department shall:

256.08(4)(a) (a) Serve as the lead state agency for emergency medical services.

256.08(4)(b) (b) Implement measures to achieve objectives that are set forth in the state emergency medical services plan under sub. (1).