Section 515.960  Aircraft Communications and Dispatch Center

a)         The SEMSV Program shall have a designated person assigned and available 24 hours per day every day of the year to receive and dispatch all requests for aeromedical services.  For fixed-wing aircraft programs, a telephone answering service may be used.

b)         Education of the designated person shall be commensurate with the scope of responsibility of the communications center and pertinent to the air medical transport service, including:

1)         Knowledge of EMS roles and responsibilities of the various levels of education;

2)         Knowledge of Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission regulations;

3)         General safety rules, emergency procedures and flight following procedures;

4)         Navigation techniques/terminology and understanding weather interpretation;

5)         Types of radio frequency bands used;

6)         Stress recognition and management;

7)         Medical terminology and obtaining patient information;

8)         Assistance with all hazards response and recognition procedure using appropriate reference materials; and

9)         Crew resource management.

c)         The dispatch center shall have at least one dedicated telephone number for the SEMSV Program.

d)         A pre-arranged emergency plan shall be in place to cover situations in which an aircraft is overdue, radio communication cannot be established, or an aircraft location cannot be verified.

e)         A back-up power source shall be available for all communications equipment used at the SEMSV Medical Direction point.

f)         The dispatch center shall have a system for recording all incoming and outgoing telephone and radio transmissions with time recording and playback capabilities.  Recordings shall be kept for 30 days.

g)         In addition, for helicopter programs:

1)         The dispatch center shall have the capability to communicate with the aircraft pilot and aeromedical crew for nonmedical purposes on a separate designated frequency.

2)         Continuous flight following every 15 minutes shall be maintained and documented.

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