Section 515.410  EMS System Communications

a)         The System's communications plan shall be submitted for approval to the Department's EMS Communications staff, and shall include the following in accordance with 47 CFR 90 (1994):

1)         A listing of access numbers of Emergency Medical Services, including a description of plans to use or to implement a "911" System or Central Medical Emergency Dispatch (CMED) if or when available and a list of agencies involved;

2)         A description of communications interface with existing Systems;

3)         A description of plans to handle hospital-to-hospital communications;

4)         A complete and detailed communications equipment description;

5)         A general description of ultra-high frequency (UHF) or cellular telephone and back-up radio capabilities, such as very high frequency (VHF) or UHF radio, including Resource and Associate Hospital interconnections and control functions if any exist;

6)         A general description of paramedic input telephones, including Resource and Associate Hospital interconnections if any exist;

7)         A general description of EMS vehicle dispatch communications, including areas covered, mutual aid agreements, radio and telephone capabilities, including radio channels used (i.e., 155.220 MHz) and present and future 911 involvement;

8)         All mobile and portable communications equipment to be used by EMS System personnel;

9)         A detailed block diagram sketch or sketches showing all transmitters, receivers, antennas, control consoles, electrocardiogram (EKG) demodulators, patient monitor equipment, recorders, telephones, and couplers, with signal flow lines;

10)       Radio equipment specifications, including effective radiated power (ERP), antenna height, ground heights, antenna pattern, antenna direction, channels used, continuous tone-controlled squelch system tones, and digital dial numbers;

11)       Modes of operation such as half-duplex and multiplex;

12)       Radio coverage maps showing locations of all transmitting and receiving equipment and control points;

13)       A general discussion concerning radio interference and steps taken to minimize it (i.e., the use of only short EKG transmission, thus allowing several EMS units to use one channel, minimizing ERP and antenna height);

14)       Copies of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses or application; and

15)       A narrative description of the System's plans for informing the community of the EMS System program development, how citizens can gain access, and the ongoing operation of the System.

b)         EMS telecommunications equipment shall be configured to allow the EMS Medical Director, or designee, to monitor all vehicle to hospital transmissions and hospital-to-vehicle transmissions within the System.

c)         Resource and Associate Hospitals shall have an operational control point for a Medical Emergency Communications of Illinois (MERCI) VHF/UHF base station, telemetry receiving and monitoring and any Associate to Resource Hospital intercom lines.

d)         Physician direction shall be provided from the operational control point of an approved Resource or Associate Hospital.  All medical orders/direction given shall be taped.

e)         Telecommunications equipment necessary to fulfill the requirements of this Part shall be staffed and maintained 24 hours every day, including VHF and UHF base stations and their required telephone equipment.

f)         EMS System personnel shall be capable of properly operating their respective communications equipment.

g)         All telecommunications equipment shall be maintained to minimize breakdowns.  Procedures shall be established to provide immediate action to be taken by operating personnel to ensure rapid restoration in case breakdowns do occur.

h)         Written protocols shall describe communications procedures for operation of the System, all base station control points, and field units. These protocols shall contain provisions for limiting the time of individual radio transmissions to include only necessary information transfer (i.e., short telemetry strips).  Mobile base control points and mobile units shall have an easily accessible copy of the protocols pertaining to their stations.

i)          Written protocols shall include a requirement that before terminating communications with medical control, pre-hospital personnel must notify medical control of a method by which the ambulance can be re-contacted, and must set its communications equipment so as to be able to receive a call from medical control.

j)          The Department shall approve channel assignments, ERP, antenna height and locations, and tones in new Systems to ensure radio coverage in approved program service areas without causing interference in existing Systems.

k)         The Department shall monitor and may require modifications in channel assignments, tones, antenna height and locations, and ERP to correct documented radio interference problems.

(Source:  Added at 21 Ill. Reg. 5170, effective April 15, 1997)