Section 515.500  EMS System Education Program-Emergency Medical Technician

a)         An EMS education program shall only be conducted by an EMS System or an academic institution under the direction of the EMS System.

b)         Applications for pre-approval of EMS education programs shall be filed with the Department on forms prescribed by the Department.  The applications shall contain, at a minimum:

1)         Name of the applicant, agency and address;

2)         Lead Instructor's name, license number, address and contact information;

3)         Name and signature of the EMS MD and EMS System Coordinator;

4)         Type of education program;

5)         Dates, times and location of the education program, including course schedule;

6)         Goals, objectives and course outline;

7)         Methods, materials and text books;

8)         Content and time consistent with the national EMS education standards and additional course curricula required by the Department.  Initial or modified course syllabi shall be approved by the Department;

9)         Description of the clinical and field requirements;

10)         Description of evaluation tools (student, clinical units, faculty and programs); and

11)         Requirements for successful completion.

c)         Applications for pre-approval, including a copy of the course schedule and syllabus, shall be submitted no less than 60 days before the first scheduled class.

1)         Initial or revised education programs require full submission of all curriculum related educational documents for Department pre-approval (see Section 515.520(b)(1 through 11)).

2)         Education programs previously approved by the Department without changes to curricula or content require submission of the course schedule and syllabus only.

d)         The EMS MD shall attest on the application form that the education program will be conducted according to the national EMS education standards, including modifications required by the Department.  The course hours shall include, at a minimum, 125 hours of didactic education and 25 hours of clinical experience, which includes hospital or alternate health care facility and field internship experience.  The clinical experience shall include minimum patient care contacts, competency evaluation, and measurement, as defined in the standards and approved by the EMS MD.

e)         The EMS MD and the EMS System Coordinator, in cooperation with the educational institution, shall be responsible for oversight, quality assurance and outcome measurement for the EMT education program.

f)         The Lead Instructor for the course shall be responsible for ensuring that no EMT course begins until after the Department issues its formal, written pre-approval, which shall be in the form of a numeric site code.

g)         The Lead Instructor for the course shall be responsible for ensuring that all materials presented to EMT students conform to all curriculum requirements of both the Department and the EMS System granting its approval.  Methods of assessment or intervention that are not approved by both the Department and the EMS System shall not be taught or presented.  All LIs for courses shall be approved by the EMS MD.

h)         Any change in the EMT program's EMS MD, EMS System Coordinator or Lead Instructor, or change in the minimum approved program, shall require an amendment to be filed with the Department by the EMS System.

i)          Before a candidate is accepted into the program, documentation shall be submitted that a BLS EMS System vehicle will be available to accommodate field internship needs.

j)          Each EMS Lead Instructor shall verify a student's qualification to take a Department-approved licensure examination upon the successful completion of the education program and shall submit a student roster on a form approved by the Department.  The EMS MD or designee may approve students through an on-line verification system.

k)         EMT candidates may test for licensure through the NREMT.  For EMT candidates who have completed and passed the EMT program, and passed the NREMT examination, the EMS MD or EMS System Coordinator shall submit to the Department an electronic transaction provided by the Department.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 16159, effective November 1, 2024)