Delaware
Diane McGinnis-Hainsworth, Director
Office of Emergency Medical Services
100 Sunnyside Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
302/223-1350, Fax 302/223-1330
https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/ems/ems.html
diane.hainsworth@state.de.us
First Responder: First Responder training is a 40-hour program and is aimed primarily at police, firefighters and industrial first aid squads. The emphasis of this course prepares the responder to address immediate life threats and injuries until more highly trained personnel are available. This program is offered through the Delaware State Fire School and a few private educational companies in the state. A 12-hour refresher course must be completed every two years to re-certify.
EMT-Basic: The EMT-B certification is the basic life support (BLS) standard of care for the State of Delaware. The course for EMT-Bs requires a minimum of 120 hours of classroom and skills instruction and approximately 10 hours of clinical rotations. This course provides the students with in-depth knowledge and skill based training to appropriately assess, stabilize, monitor, and transport the prehospital patient. In addition, the student will become familiar with medic assist functions and the use of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). Delaware certification requires successful completion of a written (National Registry) and practical skills examination. The lead agency for EMT-B education is the Delaware State Fire School. Medical oversight and curriculum review is through the Office of EMS. The cost of training is provided by the State for students affiliated with a volunteer provider agency. To remain certified as an EMT-B in Delaware, providers must complete a state sanctioned 24-hour DOT refresher program every two years, as well as a healthcare provider level CPR/AED course. To maintain national Registry EMT-B certification, the provider must complete a 24-hour DOT refresher course, 48 hours of continuing education credits, and a healthcare provider level CPR/AED course.
EMT-Paramedic: The EMT-P is the advanced life support (ALS) standard of care for the State of Delaware. Delaware Technical & Community College offers paramedic education through a two year Associate of Applied Sciences degree program that follows the National EMS Education Standards. The program consists of approximately 2,000 hours of classroom, simulation lab, clinical and field internship experiences. To obtain Delaware paramedic certification, candidates must successfully complete both a written and a practical skills examination by the National Registry of Emergency medical Technicians. Additionally, they must maintain current certifications in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and a specialized trauma certification course (PHTLS/ITLS).
Responsible certification agency: First Responders and EMT-Bs: Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission; Paramedics: Office of Emergency Medical Services, Division of Public Health, and the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Under EMS legislation there is a state EMS director and a state EMS medical director. Each county has an administrator and a county EMS medical director.
Reciprocity: Paramedic (ALS): Must be a nationally registered paramedic, affiliated with an EMS agency, complete state and federal background checks and complete state clinical/field evaluation period. EMT-B (BLS): Must be nationally registered, affiliated with an EMS agency, complete state and federal background checks, CPR/AED certification, practical exam and state of Delaware BLS protocol exam.
Number of licensed ambulance vehicles (public and private) in the state: BLS: 219; ALS: 19; air medical: 2.
Numbers of EMS personnel: First Responder, 1188; EMT-Basic, 1,402; EMT-Paramedic, 248.
Numbers of EMS services: Fire department (volunteer), 56; fire department (paid), 1; volunteer community, 2; American Legion, 2; private ambulance companies, 9; air ambulance, 9.
Number of requests for emergency medical service in the most recent available 12-month period: 179,366 (estimate by our office).
Statewide uniform ambulance reporting form: Computer database/reports: EMS Data Information Network (EDIN).
Description of statewide data-gathering system: EMS Data Information Network (EDIN) collects EMS report data electronically on a real time basis and provides administrators with a resource management and research tool. The EDIN system collects, at minimum, over 130 data points covering the demographic assessment and treatment phases of an EMS incident. The EDIN system has been online since January 1, 2000. Since its inception, over one million records have been entered into the system. Currently, all of the ALS agencies in Delaware are using the system on a full time basis. Of the 56 volunteer BLS agencies, almost all are using the system on either a full time or partial basis.
Federal/government funding: N/A
State funds allocated to run EMS office: N/A
Unique funding methods: N/A
Special projects or programs operated by EMS office: Advanced Life Support Services, Statewide Trauma System & Injury Prevention, Prehospital Patient Care Reports, EMS Medical Direction, Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC), First State, First Shock Early Defibrillation Program, Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES), EMS Infectious Disease Exposure Monitoring, Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board, Safe Kids Delaware, Special Needs Alert Program (SNAP), Air Medical Ambulance Services, ALS Interfacility Transfers, Prehospital Advanced Care Directives and Poison Control Center Programs.
Important changes and developments within the last year: The Office of EMS is in the final development stage for the new data collection system. The new system, Delaware Information Management for Emergency Services (DIMES), will be in a .Net format and have an open scalable architecture and support standards. By upgrading the technology used and by utilizing a web based program, DIMEs will provide higher quality data collection.
Outlook/changes for coming year: Update to the new educational standards in all EMS curriculum.
Job outlook/areas of greatest need: Paramedics and EMT-Bs
