As used in this part, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Advanced life support” means initiating all basic life support care as well as invasive patient care designed to stabilize and support a patient’s condition due to sudden illness or injury. The care rendered, excluding basic life support, constitutes the practice of medicine.

“Advisory committee” means the emergency medical services advisory committee.

“Basic life support” means initiating noninvasive emergency patient care designed to optimize the patient’s chances of surviving the emergency situation. The care rendered consists of all first aid procedures needed, but does not include invasive procedures which constitute the practice of medicine; provided that state-approved basic life support personnel may use fully automatic external defibrillators, initiate intravenous lines, and perform manual external defibrillation under the direction and personal supervision of a mobile intensive care technician and in accordance with rules adopted by the department.

“Department” means the department of health.

“Emergency aeromedical services” means a secondary response system that provides immediate critical care and transport by rotary-wing aircraft of a patient to a facility that provides specialized medical care.

“”Emergency medical services for children” means emergency medical services, including preventive, pre-hospital, hospital, rehabilitative, and other post-hospital care for children.”

“Emergency medical services personnel” means any mobile intensive care technician or emergency medical technician who is certified or licensed by the State.

“First responder personnel” means a person who has successfully completed a United States Department of Transportation approved First Responder Course of training in emergency basic life support.

“Service area” means the State, excluding any county having a population of five hundred thousand or more.

“State system” means the state pre-hospital emergency medical services system.

“Statewide” means all counties in the State.