256.15(4)(b)(b) An ambulance driver who is not an emergency medical services practitioner may assist with the handling and movement of a sick, injured, or disabled individual if an emergency medical services practitioner, registered nurse, physician assistant, or physician directly supervises the driver. No ambulance driver may administer care procedures that an emergency medical services practitioner is authorized to administer unless he or she is an emergency medical services practitioner.
256.15(4)(c)(c) Notwithstanding par. (a) 1. and 2. and subject to pars. (d) and (e), the department may promulgate rules that establish standards for staffing of ambulances in which the primary services provided are those which an advanced emergency medical technician or emergency medical technician — intermediate is authorized to provide or those which a paramedic is authorized to provide.
256.15(4)(d)(d) If an ambulance service provider that was initially licensed at the paramedic level in 1993 and is located in a municipality in Dodge and Jefferson counties has dispatched an ambulance containing 2 paramedics, the department shall allow that ambulance service provider to staff an ambulance at the paramedic level for a subsequent call with one paramedic and one emergency medical services practitioner of any level while the first ambulance containing 2 paramedics is occupied providing service.
256.15(4)(e)(e)
256.15(4)(e)1.1. The department shall allow an ambulance service provider providing services at the emergency medical technician level to staff an ambulance with at least one emergency medical technician and one individual who is an emergency medical technician, an individual with an emergency medical technician training permit, or an emergency medical responder. An ambulance service provider providing services at the emergency medical technician level shall require an emergency medical technician to be in the patient compartment of the ambulance during transport.
256.15(4)(e)2.2. The department shall allow an ambulance service provider providing services at the emergency medical technician — intermediate or advanced emergency medical technician level to staff an ambulance with one emergency medical services practitioner at the level of the ambulance service and one individual who holds a credential at the emergency medical responder level or higher. An ambulance service provider providing services at the emergency medical technician — intermediate or advanced emergency medical technician level shall require the individual who holds the same level credential as the ambulance service to remain with the patient at all times during care and transport of the patient, if the patient requires that level of care.
256.15(4)(e)3.3. This paragraph applies to ambulance service providers for which the population of the largest single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11), in the ambulance service provider’s service area is less than 10,000 and to ambulance service providers with a staffing waiver under par. (f). This paragraph does not apply to ambulance service providers for which the population of the largest single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11), in the ambulance service provider’s service area is more than 20,000.
256.15(4)(f)(f)
256.15(4)(f)1.1. An ambulance service provider for which the population of the largest single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11), in the ambulance service provider’s service area is 10,000 or more but not more than 20,000 may apply to the department for a waiver of any existing staffing plan in order to staff an ambulance with the personnel described in par. (e).
256.15(4)(f)2.2. The department may approve a waiver under subd. 1. for an ambulance service provider that demonstrates all of the following:
256.15(4)(f)2.a.a. The ambulance service provider has undertaken efforts to recruit and train emergency medical services practitioners capable of being licensed under this section.
256.15(4)(f)2.b.b. Despite efforts under subd. 2. a., licensed emergency medical services practitioners are not available in sufficient numbers for staffing for the ambulance services provider.
256.15(4)(f)2.c.c. Without a waiver under subd. 1., the municipality that the ambulance service provider serves is unable to meet staffing requirements for ambulances that require 2 emergency medical services practitioners on every service call.
256.15(4)(f)3.3. The department shall provide a written staffing waiver to any ambulance service provider it approves under subd. 2.
256.15(4)(f)4.4. A waiver under subd. 1. is valid for 48 months after the date of issuance, and an ambulance service provider may apply to renew the waiver.
256.15(4)(f)5.5. An ambulance service provider with a waiver under subd. 1. shall attempt to staff an ambulance with 2 licensed emergency medical services practitioners whenever possible.
256.15(4m)(4m)Upgrade to ambulance service level.
256.15(4m)(a)(a) In this subsection, “rural ambulance service provider” means an ambulance service provider for which the population of the largest single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11), in the ambulance service provider’s service area is less than 10,000.
256.15(4m)(b)(b) An ambulance operated by a rural ambulance service provider that is licensed under sub. (5) at any level may upgrade its service level to the highest level of license of any emergency medical services practitioner staffing that ambulance if the medical director approves a proposal submitted to him or her by the rural ambulance service provider.
256.15(4m)(c)(c) A rural ambulance service provider that upgrades its service under par. (b) may advertise only the level of service that the rural ambulance service provider is able to provide 24 hours per day.
256.15(4m)(d)(d) A rural ambulance service provider that is intending to upgrade its service under par. (b) shall submit to the department an update to its operational plan including a description of its intention to upgrade. The department may not require a rural ambulance service provider to stock an ambulance with equipment to perform all functions that the emergency medical services practitioner with the highest level of license may perform in order to upgrade the ambulance service level under par. (b).
256.15(5)(5)Licensing of ambulance service providers and emergency medical services practitioners; training permits.
256.15(5)(a)(a) Except as provided in ss. 256.17 and 256.18, the department shall license qualified applicants as ambulance service providers or emergency medical services practitioners. The department shall, from the information on the certification form specified under sub. (6) (c) 2., establish in each ambulance service provider’s license the primary service or contract area of the ambulance service provider.
256.15(5)(b)(b) The department shall promulgate rules establishing a system and qualifications for issuance of training permits, except as provided in ss. 256.17 and 256.18, and specifying the period for which an individual may hold a training permit. The department shall consider any relevant education, training, instruction, or other experience that an applicant for a training permit has obtained in connection with any military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g) to count toward satisfying the education or training qualifications for issuance of training permits, if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the education, training, instruction, or other experience obtained by the applicant is substantially equivalent to the education or training qualifications required for the training permit.
256.15(5)(c)(c) A training permit application shall be signed by an ambulance service provider.
256.15(5)(d)(d) An individual who holds a training permit issued under par. (b) may do the following:
256.15(5)(d)1.1. If issued an emergency medical technician training permit, he or she may perform the actions authorized under rules promulgated by the department for an emergency medical technician, but only if an emergency medical services practitioner directly supervises him or her.
256.15(5)(d)2.2. If issued an emergency medical technician — intermediate training permit, he or she may perform the actions authorized under rules promulgated by the department for an emergency medical technician — intermediate, but only if a medical director or training instructor is present and giving direction.
256.15(5)(d)2m.2m. If issued an advanced emergency medical technician training permit, he or she may perform the actions authorized under rules promulgated by the department for an advanced emergency medical technician, but only if a medical director or training instructor is present and giving direction.