OAR 259-008-0064: Maintenance of Certification for Telecommunicators and Emergency Medical Dispatchers

(1) It is the responsibility of the Board to set the minimum standards for the maintenance of certification for currently employed and certified telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers (EMD). (a) While it is the responsibility of the Department to uphold those standards, each agency may determine what training will be provided to meet the standards. (b) The Board recommends that agencies provide training time and training opportunities to enable telecommunicators and EMD to meet the standards. (2) The requirements established by the Board to maintain certification apply to telecommunicators and EMD who are currently employed and certified. (3) The Department will establish a maintenance cycle for each telecommunicator and EMD upon issuance of a basic certification. (a) The maintenance cycle will begin on January 1st and end on December 31st of the calendar year. (b) Basic certifications granted between January 1st and June 30th of the current year will have maintenance cycles that are effective January 1st of the current year. (c) Basic certifications granted between July 1st and December 31st of the current year will have maintenance cycles that are effective January 1st of the following year. (d) If a telecommunicator’s or an EMD’s certifications lapse, a new maintenance cycle will be established upon reissuance of a basic certification. (4) In order to maintain basic certification: (a) A telecommunicator must complete a minimum of 12 hours of maintenance training specific to the telecommunicator discipline. (b) An EMD must complete a minimum of eight hours of maintenance training specific to the EMD discipline. (c) A telecommunicator who is multi-discipline certified as a telecommunicator and an EMD must complete a minimum of 12 hours of maintenance training specific to the telecommunicator discipline and a minimum of four hours of maintenance training specific to the EMD discipline. (d) Telecommunicators and EMD must complete a minimum of one hour of Ethics training annually. Ethics training hours will be applied toward the minimum maintenance training requirements. Multi-discipline certified telecommunicators and EMD only need to satisfy the ethics training requirement once each maintenance cycle. (e) Telecommunicators and EMD must maintain a certification in adult and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a certification in First Aid . (5) Telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers who are multi-discipline certified in a law enforcement officer discipline must complete the telecommunicator and emergency medical dispatcher maintenance requirements as defined in this rule and are also required to complete the requirements to maintain a law enforcement officer discipline as defined in OAR 259-008-0065. The same training may be used for more than one discipline if the content is applicable to each discipline. It is the responsibility of the department head to determine if the training is appropriate for more than one discipline. (6) Leadership Training for Telecommunicators. Telecommunicators with supervisory certification must complete two hours of Leadership training annually. The Leadership training requirement is in addition to the annual maintenance training requirements for basic certification. (7) Instructors may apply hours spent instructing a class one time annually toward maintenance training. (a) Instructed hours reported for a class may not exceed the lesser of: (A) The actual class hours; or (B) The actual number of hours the instructor spent instructing the class. (b) The total number of instructed hours applied towards the annual maintenance training requirement may not exceed: (A) Six hours for the telecommunications discipline; (B) Four hours for the EMD discipline; or (C) When multi-discipline certified as a telecommunicator and an EMD, a combination of six hours for the telecommunications discipline and two hours for the EMD discipline. (8) Documentation of Completed Maintenance Requirements. (a) The employing agency must: (A) Maintain documentation for all of the maintenance training and certification requirements; (B) Report the expiration dates for the adult and child CPR and First Aid certifications to the Department through a Department-approved submission process; and (C) Report the training and hours used to complete the maintenance training requirements to the Department through a Department-approved submission process by December 31st of each calendar year. Training hours will be credited to the maintenance training category identified on the course attendance roster. (b) The Department will update the telecommunicator’s or EMD’s DPSST training record to reflect completion of the maintenance training and certification requirements. (9) Maintenance Requirements for Telecommunicators and Emergency Medical Dispatchers on Leave. (a) The employing agency must notify the Department whenever a telecommunicator or EMD is on leave for 91 days or more pursuant to OAR 259-008-0020. (b) When a telecommunicator or EMD is on leave, their certifications will not lapse pursuant to OAR 259-008-0067. (c) A telecommunicator or EMD who is on leave for any period up to 180 days will have the same maintenance cycle. (d) A telecommunicator or EMD who is on leave for more than 180 days will receive a one year extension of the maintenance cycle. (e) If adult and child CPR certification or First Aid certification expired while on leave, the telecommunicator or EMD will have 30 days after returning from leave to obtain current certification. (10) Suspension for Failure to Meet Maintenance Requirements for Certification. (a) When a telecommunicator or EMD is identified as deficient for maintenance training requirements or a failure to maintain certifications in adult and child CPR and First Aid, a deficiency notice will be sent to the telecommunicator or EMD and a copy of the deficiency notice will be sent to the telecommunicator’s or EMD’s employing agency. (b) A telecommunicator or EMD has 30 days from the date of the deficiency notice to complete the maintenance requirements identified as deficient or to request a time extension. (c) When a telecommunicator or EMD fails to complete the deficient maintenance requirements or fails to request a time extension within 30 days of the date of the deficiency notice, a Contested Case Notice of Intent to Suspend will be prepared by the Department and served on the telecommunicator or EMD pursuant to ORS 181A.640(1)(c) and these rules. A copy of the Notice of Intent will be sent to the telecommunicator’s or EMD’s employing agency. (d) A Notice of Intent to Suspend based on a deficiency that is only for Leadership training applies only to the telecommunicator’s supervisory, management, and executive certifications. (e) All contested case notices will be prepared in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Attorney General’s Model Rules of Procedure adopted under OAR 259-005-0015. (f) A telecommunicator or EMD who has been served with a Contested Case Notice of Intent to Suspend has 30 days from the date of mailing or personal service of the notice to provide documentation to the Department showing the completion of the maintenance requirements identified as deficient during the reporting period or to file a written request for hearing with the Department. (g) Default Order. If the required training or certification is not reported to the Department or a request for hearing received by the Department within 30 days from the date of the mailing or personal service of the Notice, the Contested Case Notice will become a final order suspending certification pursuant to OAR 137-003-0672. (11) Time Extensions. (a) The Department may grant a time extension for a telecommunicator or EMD to complete the deficient maintenance training requirements upon receipt of a written request from the telecommunicator or EMD or their employing agency’s department head. The written request must include an action plan for completing the training requirements that were identified as deficient. (b) No time extension will be granted beyond December 31st of the year following the expiration date of the required maintenance training. (c) Training used to complete the deficiencies for a maintenance cycle that has been granted a time extension cannot be applied toward the next maintenance cycle. (d) A time extension for deficient maintenance training does not change the period for the following maintenance cycle. (e) If a telecommunicator or EMD fails to complete the deficient maintenance training requirements before the expiration of the time extension, a Notice of Intent to Suspend will be served on the telecommunicator or EMD by the Department. (12) A telecommunicator or EMD whose basic certification has been suspended is prohibited from performing the duties of a telecommunicator or EMD. (13) Recertification Following a Suspension: (a) Recertification following a suspension may be obtained by submitting documentation to the Department showing completion of the maintenance requirements. (b) Prior to reinstatement of certifications from a suspension for failure to meet certification maintenance requirements, a telecommunicator or EMD must meet the minimum employment, training and certification requirements outlined in OAR chapter 259 division 008.