1. (a) First Responders Organization. First Responders Organizations (FRO's) are individuals or organizations which:

   1. (1) routinely respond to emergency situations;
   2. (2) utilize personnel who are emergency medical services (EMS) certified by the Texas Department of Health (department);
   3. (3) provide on-scene patient care; and
   4. (4) do not transport patients.

2. (b) Application requirements. The applicant shall submit a completed application to the department. A complete application consists of the following:

   1. (1) the application;
   2. (2) a personnel list to include social security number and certification/licensure level;
   3. (3) description or map of the service area;
   4. (4) agreements with appropriate licensed providers; and

   5. (5) a nonrefundable application fee, if applicable.

      1. (A) Any FRO which is, or has a contract with, an entity such as a business, corporation or department and whose first responder employees or members are compensated by that entity for providing first responder service shall pay a nonrefundable $50 application fee. If the registration is issued for less than 12 months in which case the nonrefundable fee shall be $25. The FRO's personnel are not exempt from the payment of certification application fees.
      2. (B) Applicants who meet all the requirements for registration shall be issued a First Responder registration. The registration may be valid for up to 2 years, but may be issued for less than 2 years for administrative purposes.

3. (c) The FRO/provider agreement.

   1. (1) The FRO shall have an agreement with all licensed providers and their medical directors who routinely transport patients treated by the FRO's personnel. The agreement shall be approved by the responsible person for the first responder organization, the service director and the medical director of the licensed EMS provider.

   2. (2) The agreements shall address at a minimum the:

      1. (A) level(s) of certification of FRO personnel providing care;
      2. (B) protocols and medical equipment used by the FRO which must be approved by the medical director of the licensed transporting providers with whom the FRO has agreements;
      3. (C) days of the week and hours of the day the FRO will be available for response;
      4. (D) patient care reporting procedures;
      5. (E) certification of FRO personnel who render patient care;
      6. (F) process for the assessment of care provided by the FRO personnel;
      7. (G) response code policies for FRO personnel;
      8. (H) on-scene chain-of-command policies;
      9. (I) policies regarding FRO personnel canceling en route EMS units;
      10. (J) policies regarding FRO personnel accompanying patients in provider's vehicles; and
      11. (K) patient confidentiality.

4. (d) Responsibilities of the FRO. During the registration period the FRO's responsibilities shall include:

   1. (1) assuring ongoing compliance with the terms of the provider agreement(s);
   2. (2) assuring that all personnel, when on-scene, are prominently identified by name, certification level and organization;
   3. (3) monitoring and taking appropriate action regarding the quality of patient care provided by FRO personnel;
   4. (4) monitoring personnel compliance with medical protocols;
   5. (5) maintaining confidentiality of patient information according to the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 773, Subchapter D, §§773.091-773.096;
   6. (6) carrying proof of first responder registration in all vehicles used or operated by the FRO;
   7. (7) maintaining compliance with all applicable laws and regulations;
   8. (8) monitoring and enforcing general personnel safety policies including at least personal protective equipment, immunizations and communicable disease exposure and emergency vehicle operation;

   9. (9) notifying the department within 10 days if:

      1. (A) the FRO ceases to exist or merges with another FRO;

      2. (B) there is a change in the:

         1. (i) official business address and/or phone number;
         2. (ii) administrator;
         3. (iii) providers associated with the FRO; and/or
         4. (iv) medical director.

5. (e) Registration renewal process.

   1. (1) The department shall notify the FRO at least 90 days before the expiration date of the current registration at the address shown in the current records of the department. If a notice of expiration is not received, it is the responsibility of the FRO to notify the department and request registration renewal application information.
   2. (2) FRO's shall submit a completed application and nonrefundable fee, if applicable, and must verify compliance with the requirements of their registration.

6. (f) Registration denial. Registration may be denied for, but not limited to, the following reasons:

   1. (1) failure to meet requirements of first responder registration in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of this section;
   2. (2) previous failure to meet the responsibilities of a registered first responder organization as described in subsection (d) of this section;
   3. (3) falsifying any information, record or document required for a first responder registration;
   4. (4) misrepresenting any requirements for first responder registration or renewal of first responder registration;
   5. (5) history of criminal activity while registered as an FRO;
   6. (6) history of disciplinary action relating to first responder registration; and/or
   7. (7) issuing a check for application for first responder registration which is subsequently returned to the department unpaid.
7. (g) Registration revocation criteria. First responder registration may be revoked or suspended for failure to meet the responsibilities of a registered FRO as described in subsection (d) of this section.

Source Note:The provisions of this §157.14 adopted to be effective September 1, 2000, 25 TexReg 3749.