(1) Education and skill maintenance is required to recertify as an EMS provider. There are two methods by which the EMS provider may meet continuing medical education and ongoing training and skill requirements for recertification at the end of each certification period. The continuing medical education and examination (CME) method described in WAC 246-976-162 or the ongoing training and evaluation program (OTEP) method described in WAC 246-976-163.

(2) The EMS provider shall maintain records of successfully completed educational, practical skill evaluation and skill maintenance requirements for a minimum of seven years. The EMS provider shall provide records to their EMS agency, their county medical program director, and the department upon request.

(3) All training and education content must meet current national EMS education standards to include skill evaluations. Department recognized national EMS training courses for topics such as basic and advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, advanced medical life support, and prehospital trauma life support may be used. EMS continuing medical education and ongoing training programs approved by national accreditation organizations recognized by the department may also be used. All training and education content must be approved by the MPD.

(4) Education must include information and psychomotor skill maintenance opportunities relevant to the skills and procedures identified on the Washington State Approved Skills and Procedures for Certified EMS Providers list (DOH 530-173), to all age groups and be appropriate to the level of certification. Topics required for both methods of recertification must include all the following:

(a) Age appropriate patient assessment;

(b) Airway management including the use of airway adjuncts appropriate to the level of certification;

(c) Cardiovascular education that includes recognition, assessment of severity, and care of cardiac and stroke patients, CPR for the health care provider, foreign body airway obstruction, and electrical therapy for the level of certification;

(d) Trauma including spinal motion restriction;

(e) Pharmacology including epinephrine, naloxone, and medications approved by the MPD;

(f) Obstetrics, pediatric, geriatric, bariatric, behavioral, mental health, and chemical dependency;

(g) Patient advocacy concepts including multicultural awareness education as required in RCW 43.70.615, health equity education trainings for health care professionals as required in RCW 43.70.613, portable orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST) as provided in RCW 43.70.480, legal obligations and reporting for vulnerable populations as provided in RCW 70.34.035, and training as required in RCW 43.70.490 for people with disabilities or functional needs;

(h) EMS provider advocacy and wellness concepts including suicide awareness, mental health and physical wellbeing, infectious disease training, and workplace safety;

(i) Law and regulations related to the scope of practice of providers in Washington state and regulatory requirements for an EMS provider to maintain certification;

(j) State, regional, and local policies including state triage tools, regional patient care procedures, county operating procedures, and county MPD patient care protocols and policies;

(k) Disaster preparedness concepts such as the use of incident command system (ICS), multiple patient incidents, mass casualty incidents, disaster triage, all hazard incidents, public health emergencies, and active shooter events;

(l) Documentation standards for patient care including reporting to the Washington state EMS electronic data system as provided in RCW 70.168.090, data quality, evidence-based practice and research; and

(m) Ambulance operations including concepts such as driving an emergency vehicle, stretcher handling, crime scene awareness, safety around air ambulances and landing zones.

(5) If a competency-based education delivery method is not used, the required number of hours for education in each certification period for each level of care is as follows:

(a) EMR – 15 hours;

(b) EMT – 30 hours;

(c) AEMT – 60 hours;

(d) Paramedic – 150 hours.

(6) Skill maintenance is a required component for both OTEP and CME methods of recertification under WAC 246-976-162 and 246-976-163. Skill maintenance activities should include skills identified in the department-approved EMS skills and procedures list (DOH 530-173) appropriate to the level of certification. Skill maintenance should include an educational component. The provider must demonstrate the ability to perform a skill properly to the satisfaction of the MPD or approved MPD delegate. Skill proficiency must include opportunities for EMS providers to annually practice and demonstrate proficiency in high risk, low frequency skills, and must include:

(a) Airway, respiration, and ventilation:

(i) For EMR include airway management, airway adjuncts, bag valve mask, and oral suctioning for all age groups.

(ii) For EMT and AEMT include content prescribed for EMR and if supraglottic airway is included in the scope of practice for the level of certification or if the EMS provider holds an endorsement for supraglottic airway. "Supraglottic airway" means airway adjuncts not intended for insertion into the trachea. This includes verification of initial placement and continued placement, in a skill lab setting, through procedures identified in county MPD protocols.

(iii) For paramedic include content prescribed for EMR, EMT, AEMT, and paramedics. Paramedics must successfully complete a department-approved MPD airway management education program throughout each three-year certification period.

(iv) Distributive learning may be used to provide the didactic portion of the airway management education and must include a cognitive assessment for each module.

(v) The airway management program must include a minimum of all the following:

(A) Respiratory system anatomy and physiology;

(B) Basic airway management and airway adjuncts;

(C) Recognizing the need for and preparatory steps for advanced airway management including difficult airways; and

(D) Post intubation management including monitoring airway, patient movement considerations, and documentation.

(vi) Paramedics must annually demonstrate psychomotor skills to the satisfaction of the MPD or approved MPD delegate. Psychomotor skills must include:

(A) Appropriate use and placement of oral and nasal airway adjuncts for pediatric and adult patients;

(B) Appropriate use and placement of supraglottic airways for pediatric and adult patients;

(C) Appropriate use and placement of endotracheal tube for pediatric and adult patients. Successful human intubation or successful placement on MPD approved high-fidelity mannequins satisfy the psychomotor requirements with approval from the MPD; and

(D) Appropriate use and placement of surgical airway management techniques for pediatric and adult patients.

(vii) If a paramedic is unable to obtain human intubations or successfully demonstrate competency for advanced airway management and intubation the MPD may conduct a quality improvement review of patient care provided in accordance with department-approved MPD quality improvement plan. The MPD may also require additional education and psychomotor opportunities to demonstrate competency.

(b) Vascular access:

(i) AEMT and EMTs that hold an IV therapy endorsement must:

(A) Demonstrate proficiency of intravenous insertion and infusion on patients to the satisfaction of the MPD or an approved MPD delegate. Skills can be performed while in the course of duty as an EMS provider on sick, injured, or preoperative adult and pediatric patients; and

(B) Demonstrate proficiency of intraosseous insertion and infusion to the satisfaction of the MPD or an approved MPD delegate. Skills can be performed while in the course of duty as an EMS provider on sick, injured, or preoperative adult and pediatric patients.

(ii) Paramedics must:

(A) Complete requirements for AEMT; and

(B) Demonstrate proficiency to the satisfaction of the MPD or approved MPD delegate for advanced level vascular access, infusion, and monitoring of lines such as central venous and external jugular lines and other relevant skills identified in the Washington state approved EMS skills and procedures list (DOH 530-173).

(iii) If an EMS provider is unable to complete any of the skill requirements identified above, upon approval from the MPD, the EMS provider may meet the requirements by performing the skill on artificial training aids.