Rule 511-9-2-.04 - Regional Emergency Medical Services Advisory Councils(1) Purpose. In accordance with the designation made by the Board of Public Health pursuant to Georgia Code Section 31-11-3(a), a Regional Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (REMSAC) shall serve as the local coordinating entity in each EMS Region.(2) General Provisions (a) The Regional EMS Director shall serve as a liaison between the Department and the REMSAC in each EMS Region, and shall provide support, education, and guidance on the REMSAC's responsibilities related to its role as the designated local coordinating entity for their EMS Region.(b) Each REMSAC shall adopt bylaws subject to the approval of the Department and shall conduct its business in accordance with the Georgia Open Records and Open Meetings Acts. Bylaws shall address frequency of meetings, recording of minutes, membership, terms of members, creation and function of committees, managing conflicts of interest, voting, administration and review of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan, and other issues relevant to the function of an advisory council.(c) Each REMSAC shall be composed of between twenty-five (25) and fifty (50) members who are both knowledgeable and interested in the EMS system and represent the interests of a broad cross-section of the EMS Region's citizens. Membership shall include representation from each of the following categories, provided that a single member may represent more than one category: 1. At least one member from each of the counties served by the REMSAC shall be appointed by the county commission, subject to membership requirements specified in the REMSAC bylaws;2. At least one representative from each of the following systems of care:(v) Perinatal Care/Obstetrics3. An EMS agency medical director from a designated 911 zone provider in a county served by the REMSAC;4. A representative of EMS education;5. A representative from a fire/rescue service;6. A representative from an emergency management agency;7. At least one representative from each of the following EMS agency license types, if present in the EMS Region: (iv) Medical First Responder8. At least one representative from each of the following EMS agency ownership types, if present in the EMS Region:(i) Government (City, County, or State)(ii) Private (Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Sole Proprietorship, or other entity)9. Consumers or experts in the field of EMS.(d) REMSAC members, other than those appointed by the county commissions, shall be appointed by the Commissioner or his/her designee, subject to membership requirements specified in the REMSAC bylaws.(e) Each REMSAC member shall serve in a volunteer capacity, without remuneration by the Department, and shall not be entitled to reimbursement of any expenses, including travel expenses.(3) Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan (a) Each EMS Region shall have a Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan that is based primarily on the considerations of economy, efficiency, and benefit to the public welfare.(b) The Department shall develop the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan based on recommendations from the REMSAC and shall provide oversight and supervision of the operations of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan for each EMS Region.(c) The REMSAC shall make recommendations to the Board or its designee for the designation of one or more 911 Zone Provider(s) for each Emergency Response Zone within the EMS Region, subject to approval or modification by the Board or its designee in accordance with the procedures set forth in Code Section 31-11-3 and under the circumstances outlined in subparagraph (4) of this Rule.(d) Following implementation of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan, the REMSAC may review data regarding key performance measures specified by the Department for each designated 911 Zone Provider in the EMS Region.(e) The Department may make administrative updates to the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan as needed. Such updates may include business name changes and documentation of subcontracting relationships between designated 911 zone providers and other licensed ambulance services.(f) The Department may designate a licensed ambulance service to serve as a temporary 911 Zone Provider for an Emergency Response Zone if the current designated 911 Zone Provider abandons the Emergency Response Zone, is no longer eligible to participate in the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan, or surrenders the Emergency Response Zone with notice insufficient to allow timely modification of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan. The temporary designation shall be in place until the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan is modified in accordance with subsection (4), below.(4) Modification of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan(a) The REMSAC shall make recommendations for modification of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan to the Board or its designee, in accordance with the procedures established in subparagraph (b) of this section, if any of the following events occurs: 1. The current designated 911 Zone Provider is no longer eligible to participate in the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan, as determined by the Department; or2. The current designated 911 Zone Provider notifies the Department that it intends to voluntarily surrender its designation status for its assigned Emergency Response Zone(s); or3. The current designated 911 Zone Provider has abandoned its assigned Emergency Response Zone(s), as determined by the Department; or4. The REMSAC receives a written request for a detailed examination and assessment of the Regional Ambulance Zoning plan for one or more Emergency Response Zones, conducts a detailed examination and assessment in accordance with procedures specified by the Department, and determines that:(i) There has been a significant decline in the economy, efficiency, or benefit to the public welfare within a specific Emergency Response Zone or the EMS Region as a whole; or(ii) There exists an opportunity for significant improvement in the economy, efficiency, or benefit to the public welfare within a specific Emergency Response Zone or the EMS Region as a whole.(b) The REMSAC shall comply with the following procedures when making recommendations for modification of the Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan: 1. The REMSAC shall post a notice soliciting proposals from all licensed ambulance providers seeking designation as the 911 zone provider for a specific Emergency Response Zone. The notice shall specify: (i) The ten (10) day period during which proposals will be accepted; and(ii) The information that must be included in the proposal including, but not limited to, a written description of the territory in which the ambulance provider can respond to emergency calls and data regarding key performance measures as specified by the Department.2. The REMSAC shall evaluate all proposals based primarily on the considerations of economy, efficiency, and benefit to the public welfare.3. Within ten (10) days after the period for receiving proposals has ended, the REMSAC shall make a recommendation to the Board or its designee, in the format specified by the Department, regarding the territorial zones and the method of distributing emergency calls among the ambulance providers within the EMS Region. If the REMSAC's recommendation includes a change in one or more designated 911 zone providers, the recommendation shall provide for a transition plan and include the effective date of the modification.(c) The Board or its designee, upon receipt of the REMSAC's recommendation, shall either approve the recommendation, conduct a hearing as provided in Code Section 31-11-3(d), or remand the recommendation back to the REMSAC if the Department determines the REMSAC did not follow procedures set forth in this rule.(d) The Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan shall be administered in accordance with the decision of the Board or its designee.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-9-2-.04
O.C.G.A. §§ 31-2A-3, 31-2A-6, 31-11-3, 31-11-5.
Original Rule entitled "Designation of Specialty Care Centers" adopted. F. December 14, 2011; eff. January 3, 2012.Amended: F. Apr. 2, 2015; eff. Apr. 22, 2015.Note: Correction of non-substantive typographical error on SOS website, original Rule title "Licensure of Air Ambulance Services" corrected to "Designation of Specialty Care Centers." Effective May 17, 2016.Amended: F. May 19, 2017; eff. June 8, 2017.Amended: F. Jan. 24, 2018; eff. Feb. 13, 2018.Amended: F. June 22, 2018; eff. July 12, 2018.Repealed: F. Sep. 16, 2019; eff. Oct. 16, 2019, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Nov. 14, 2019; eff. Dec. 9, 2019, as specified by the Agency.