Section 515.520  Paramedic Education

a)         An accredited Paramedic program shall be conducted only by an EMS System or an academic institution whose curriculum has been approved by the EMS System.

b)         Applications for pre-approval of Paramedic education programs shall be filed with the Department on forms prescribed by the Department.  The application 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 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 at least 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 will require submission of the course schedule and syllabus only.

d)         The EMS MD of the EMS System shall attest on the application form that the education program will be conducted according to the national EMS education standards, including all modifications required by the Department.  The course hours shall minimally include 500 hours of didactic education and 500 hours of clinical experience, which includes hospitals plus alternate care facilities and field internship experience, including minimum patient care contacts and competency evaluation and measurement as defined in the standards and approved by the EMS MD.  

e)         Oversight, quality assurance and outcome measurement for the Paramedic education program shall be the responsibility of the EMS MD and the EMS System Coordinator, with cooperation of the educational institution.

f)         The Lead Instructor for the course shall be responsible for ensuring that no Paramedic class 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 Paramedic 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 must be approved by the EMS MD.

h)         Any change in the Paramedic 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.

i)          A candidate for a Paramedic education program shall have an active Illinois EMT, A-EMT or EMT-I license. All program participants shall maintain their qualifying license throughout completion of the program and successful completion of the licensure examination.

j)          Before a candidate is accepted into the program, documentation shall be submitted that an ALS or CCT EMS System vehicle will be available to accommodate field internship needs.

k)         Each education program shall verify a student's qualification to attempt 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.

l)          Paramedic candidates may test for licensure via the NREMT examination (NREMT requires successful completion from an accredited academic institution recognized by NREMT).  For Paramedic candidates who have completed and passed all components of the program, and passed the NREMT examination, and who are applying for Illinois licensure, the EMS MD shall submit to the Department an electronic transaction form provided by the Department.  No electronic transaction form is required for candidates taking the State licensure examination.

m)        All approved programs shall maintain course and student records for seven years, in compliance with the affiliated academic institution requirements as applicable.  The course and student records shall be made available to the EMS System or Department upon request.

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