Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 44 > Chapter 61 > Article 1 - Emergency Medical Services

• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Ambulance: means a vehicle maintained or operated by a licensed provider who has obtained the necessary permits and licenses for the transportation of persons who are sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Attendant: means a trained and qualified individual responsible for the operation of an ambulance and the care of the patients, regardless of whether the attendant also serves as driver. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Authorized agent: means any individual designated to represent the department. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Board: means the governing body of the Department of Health and Environmental Control or its designated representative. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Certificate: means official acknowledgment by the department that an individual has completed successfully one of the appropriate emergency medical technician training courses referred to in this article in addition to completing successfully the requisite examinations, which entitles that individual to perform the functions and duties as delineated by the classification for which the certificate was issued. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the administrative agency known as the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Driver: means an individual who drives or otherwise operates an ambulance. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Emergency medical service system: means the arrangement of personnel, facilities, and equipment for the delivery of health care services under emergency conditions. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Emergency transport: means services and transportation provided after the sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of such severity including severe pain that the absence of medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in the following:
  
  (a) placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy;
  
  (b) causing serious impairment to bodily functions;
  
  (c) causing serious dysfunction of bodily organ or part; or
  
  (d) a situation that resulted from an accident, injury, acute illness, unconsciousness, or shock, for example, required oxygen or other emergency treatment, required the patient to remain immobile because of a fracture, stroke, heart attack, or severe hemorrhage. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Immediate family: means a person's spouse. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Investigative Review Committee: means a professional peer review committee that may be convened by the department in its discretion when the findings of an official investigation against an entity or an individual regulated by the department may warrant suspension or revocation of a license or certification. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• Legal guardian: means a person who is lawfully invested with the power, and charged with the obligation of, taking care of and managing the property and rights of a person who, because of age, understanding, or self-control, is considered incapable of administering his or her own affairs. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• License: means an authorization to a person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency to provide emergency medical services in the State. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Licensee: means any person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency possessing authorization, permit, license, or certification to provide emergency medical service in this State. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Moral turpitude: means behavior that is not in conformity with and is considered deviant by societal standards. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Patient: means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Permit: means an authorization issued for an ambulance vehicle which meets the standards adopted pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Revocation: means that the department has permanently voided a license or certificate and the holder no longer may perform the function associated with the license, or certificate. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Standards: means the required measurable components of an emergency medical service system having permanent and recognized value that provide adequate emergency health care delivery. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• State Medical Control Physician: means a physician who shall be contracted with the department to oversee all medical aspects of the EMS Program. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Suspension: means that the department has temporarily voided a license, permit, or certificate and the holder may not perform the function associated with the license, permit, or certificate until the holder has complied with the statutory requirements and other conditions imposed by the department. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.