(A) A first responder, emergency medical technician-basic, emergency medical technician-intermediate, or emergency medical technician-paramedic is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the individual’s administration of emergency medical services, unless the services are administered in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. A physician, physician assistant designated by a physician, or registered nurse designated by a physician, any of whom is advising or assisting in the emergency medical services by means of any communication device or telemetering system, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the individual’s advisory communication or assistance, unless the advisory communication or assistance is provided in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. Medical directors and members of cooperating physician advisory boards of emergency medical service organizations are not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from their acts or omissions in the performance of their duties, unless the act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 4765.49

  • Ambulance: means any motor vehicle that is used, or is intended to be used, for the purpose of responding to emergency medical situations, transporting emergency patients, and administering emergency medical service to patients before, during, or after transportation. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Emergency medical service: includes such services performed before or during any transport of a patient, including transports between hospitals and transports to and from helicopters. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • Emergency medical service organization: means a public or private organization using first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics, or a combination of first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, and paramedics, to provide emergency medical services. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • EMT-basic: means an individual who holds a current, valid certificate issued under section 4765. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • EMT-I: means an individual who holds a current, valid certificate issued under section 4765. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • First responder: means an individual who holds a current, valid certificate issued under section 4765. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • 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.
  • paramedic: means an individual who holds a current, valid certificate issued under section 4765. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Physician: means an individual who holds a current, valid license issued under Chapter 4731 of the Revised Code authorizing the practice of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • Physician assistant: means an individual who holds a valid license to practice as a physician assistant issued under Chapter 4730 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Registered nurse: means an individual who holds a current, valid license issued under Chapter 4723 of the Revised Code authorizing the practice of nursing as a registered nurse. See Ohio Code 4765.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59

(B) A political subdivision, joint ambulance district, joint emergency medical services district, or other public agency, and any officer or employee of a public agency or of a private organization operating under contract or in joint agreement with one or more political subdivisions, that provides emergency medical services, or that enters into a joint agreement or a contract with the state, any political subdivision, joint ambulance district, or joint emergency medical services district for the provision of emergency medical services, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property arising out of any actions taken by a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic working under the officer’s or employee’s jurisdiction, or for injury, death, or loss to person or property arising out of any actions of licensed medical personnel advising or assisting the first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic, unless the services are provided in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(C) A student who is enrolled in an emergency medical services training program accredited under section 4765.17 of the Revised Code or an emergency medical services continuing education program approved under that section is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from either of the following:

(1) The student’s administration of emergency medical services or patient care or treatment, if the services, care, or treatment is administered while the student is under the direct supervision and in the immediate presence of an EMT-basic, EMT-I, paramedic, registered nurse, physician assistant, or physician and while the student is receiving clinical training that is required by the program, unless the services, care, or treatment is provided in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct;

(2) The student’s training as an ambulance driver, unless the driving is done in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(D) An EMT-basic, EMT-I, paramedic, or other operator, who holds a valid commercial driver’s license issued pursuant to Chapter 4506 of the Revised Code or driver’s license issued pursuant to Chapter 4507 of the Revised Code and who is employed by an emergency medical service organization that is not owned or operated by a political subdivision as defined in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that is caused by the operation of an ambulance by the EMT-basic, EMT-I, paramedic, or other operator while responding to or completing a call for emergency medical services, unless the operation constitutes willful or wanton misconduct or does not comply with the precautions of section 4511.03 of the Revised Code. An emergency medical service organization is not liable in damages in a civil action for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that is caused by the operation of an ambulance by its employee or agent, if this division grants the employee or agent immunity from civil liability for the injury, death, or loss.

(E) An employee or agent of an emergency medical service organization who receives requests for emergency medical services that are directed to the organization, dispatches first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics in response to those requests, communicates those requests to those employees or agents of the organization who are authorized to dispatch first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, or paramedics, or performs any combination of these functions for the organization, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the individual’s acts or omissions in the performance of those duties for the organization, unless an act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(F) A person who is performing the functions of a first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic under the authority of the laws of a state that borders this state and who provides emergency medical services to or transportation of a patient in this state is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the person’s administration of emergency medical services, unless the services are administered in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. A physician, physician assistant designated by a physician, or registered nurse designated by a physician, any of whom is licensed to practice in the adjoining state and who is advising or assisting in the emergency medical services by means of any communication device or telemetering system, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the person’s advisory communication or assistance, unless the advisory communication or assistance is provided in a manner that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(G) A person certified under section 4765.23 of the Revised Code to teach in an emergency medical services training program or emergency medical services continuing education program, and a person who teaches at the Ohio fire academy established under section 3737.33 of the Revised Code or in a fire service training program described in division (A) of section 4765.55 of the Revised Code, is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the person’s acts or omissions in the performance of the person’s duties, unless an act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(H) In the accreditation of emergency medical services training programs or approval of emergency medical services continuing education programs, the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services and any person or entity authorized by the board to evaluate applications for accreditation or approval are not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from their acts or omissions in the performance of their duties, unless an act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(I) A person authorized by an emergency medical service organization to review the performance of first responders, EMTs-basic, EMTs-I, and paramedics or to administer quality assurance programs is not liable in damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property resulting from the person’s acts or omissions in the performance of the person’s duties, unless an act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

Last updated April 27, 2023 at 2:04 PM