HomeMy WebLinkAboutEMS communication planEmergency
Medical Services
Communications
Plan
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Volume i
Third Edition
to at least a 5-mile radius of its facility on the LMC UHF channel approved or assigned by the STO for that
hospital on a geographic allotment basis, and/or for that area on a real-time allocation basis.
5.6.2 Proprietary Local Medical Coordination (800 MHz Trunked Radio Systems)
EMS communications systems may migrate to specialized radio "trunked" systems that will shift LMC
communications to a proprietary radio infrastructure. Radio systems that employ this technology will meet
those agencies re uirements for LMC communications that provide EMS field personnel with a
communications sytem that permits the exchange of vital information between EMS, emergency departments
and/or medical directors. In that these systems are proprietary in nature they will not meet the requirements
specified within this Plan under Chapter 395, F.S., for hospital emergency departments.
5.7 Radios in Permitted Vehicles
5.7.1 Permitted Transport Vehicles
Every permitted transport vehicle shall be equipped with an UHF radio that will provide access to eachLMC,
CMC and SMC channel necessary to enable reliable communications with each hospital emergency
department in the county or larger area in which it primarily operates, and others with whom it can be
expected to communicate under normal situations.
5.7.2 .Permitted Non -Transport Vehicles
The requirement of the EMS Communications Plan is that every permitted vehicle shall have the capability
for two-way radio communications with a higher level o f medical care. Specifically, this capability shall exist
for radio communications should the firefighter/paramedic need to deviate from established medical protocols
and/or request additional medical assistance from the medical director and/or hospital. Nan EMS agency has
established medical control via an 800 MHz "Public Safety" radio system, per Section 5.6.2, within their
organization then, per the Flan, that agency has met the requirements for "Medical Control" and accordingly
not required to establish a MED-8, UHF, radio in the permitted non -transport fire engines.
In an effort to clarify any misunderstandings regarding this issue the UHF radio, MED-8 requirements remain
mandatory in every EMS permitted transport vehicle regardless of that system's routine and/or day-to-day
primary medical communications, Medical Control. MED-8 has been established to maintain radio
communications with emergency departments and/or other EMS communications systems throughout the
state while transporting patients. The requirement of the Plan is to establish a common medical
communications system, channel, which will provide the EMT/paramedic the ability to communicate within a
county and/or municipality regardless of that agencies primary communications infrastructure.
5.8 Vehicle Dispatch and Response (VDR)
5.8.1 VDR Base Station Facilities
Every EMS vehicle dispatch facility shall have the capability to reliably communicate on each VDR channel
designated for that facility, and configured to enable continuous reception of all local mobile VDR
transmissions on each of those channels.
The local VDR channel shall be a different channel than the CMC channels) unless specifically allowed by
the STO, EMS Communications.
5.8.2 Radios in EMS Vehicles
Every permitted EMS and recognized First Responders vehicle shall be equipped for reliable communications
on at least one local VDR channel, as well as the VDR channel(s) of each facility by which it is regularly
dispatched or to which it regularly responds. This can be accomplished by mobile with either froat & rear
control heads, dash mount radio front or rear and/or portable radios.
5.8.3 Automatic Vehicle Location
Automatic Vehicle Location systems utilized in a System Status Management configuration, intended to
reduce EMS response times, shall include a statement attesting "the Polling/Update rate will not exceed the
capacity of the primary functions of the radio communications system." This statement is in addition to the
submittal requirements of Section 2.6.2 of this Plan, The AVL system shall demonstrate location accuracy
100 meters and comply with the minimum mobile radio requirements of Section 6.3.
5.9 Medical Resource Coordination (MRC)
Every hospital emergency department and dispatch center, communicating with permitted EMS and
recognized First Responder vehicles, shall be equipped with a control, base, or repeater station system
dedicated to MRC communications which is not dependent on leased wireline control. Dispatch centers shall
have MRC equipment configured to enable continuous, 24-hour reception of the MRC channel of that region
of the state.
5.10 Crew Alert Paging
A Crew Alert Paging system, where implemented to alert EMS personnel as a primary component of the EMS
VDR system, may be established on any channel consistent with FCC rules, except that crew alert paging
shall not be approved for LMC channels, CMC channels, SMC and/or MRC channels.
5.11 Telephone Interconnection
EMS voice and/or data communications to and from points not accessible by means of the two-way land
mobile radio communications system, and which require interconnection through the public switched
telephone network by EMS field personnel, may utilize the cellular telephone system for such
communications. The use of cellular telephones shall be supplementary to the other System Requirements of
this Plan. The use of telephone interconnections does not meet the requirements outlined in 5.6 Local
Medical Coordination.
5.12 Biomedical Telemetry
Providers whose medical director has established the requirement for transmission of biomedical telemetry
may utilize the cellular telephone system for such communications. The use of cellular telephones shall be
supplementary to the other System Requirements of this Plan.
5.13 Radio Frequency Control Stations
Radio frequency control stations, FCC Station Class FX 1, shall not be approved for use on FCC designated
6 For First Responders - only if the "Memorandum of Understanding" between the EMS Provider and the First
Responder requires or implies two-way radio communications to occur between the EMS Provider and the First
Responder.
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